Lord of light
by Deruste
Summary: Elio had a simple but nice enough life, a life he choose. Let's see what four people from New York can do to change all that. From snake people and titans lets see what the isle of Puerto Rico has to offer our disgruntled hero. Something else also peaks its head from the Bleed. It has a deal if you have the time. [complete move on to the story Welcome to the United Republic.]
1. awaken by morning

Have you ever felt like you're losing yourself to madness? That the world seems to turn itself inside out and you're the only one to notice. That everything stable is crumbling, and the walls that keep you from panicking from the dangers outside are dissolving. That is my experience every time I wake and go about my day. I think it's some kind of psychosis that the pills don't help. Ohhh yes, I nearly forgot, the name is Eleodoro Vivas, I'm not the best with introductions. You can call me Elio if you prefer. I prefer being more direct than trying to fill space with needless stuff and skip straight to the point. My day was starting like any other.

My routine is probably no different from most people in principle. I wake up, brush up, shower and eat a quick breakfast of bananas and a bowl of flea market cereal. My home is a small space with only four areas, a bedroom, closet and the singular table where I eat most of my food on and the bathroom. The place didn't have much outside of a mattress with a pillow and blanket. There is a fridge in the far corner of my bedroom but other than that there was just a pile of library books and enough clothes for eight days in my closet. If you hadn't guessed I'm not exactly swimming in gold or carry much dinero in my pocket at any one time. I have no family, or at least family I would speak too. So that keeps me from being completely broke. No one else to feed.

I finish my food and check my fridge to make a mental note on what I'll need to get after my shift. As you probably envisioned from the description of the bedroom I don't get much from my job, It's minimum wage plus tips sort of thing aside from my other methods of earning. I sometimes trade with the other employees, make gifts or do a favor to get new clothes or actually healthy food. That or my… herbal supplements but my guy who sold it to me went back to Barbados.

I put on my work uniform and walk out the door with a pill in pocket in case something comes up. I forgot to specify where I live which is why I don't worry about my money situation very much. I live a bus ride away from the tourist trap area of San Juan. It doesn't mean it is close, just close enough for a bus route to be available. The place I pay rent for is a tiny room in a row with other tiny rooms. Think of it as a labor ant farm. The workers of the local tourist destinations live in places like this if they don't have homes. It was on the side of a mountain which is very common in Puerto Rico. If you're not on the side of a mountain you're in the valley, beach or the summit. All the homes and buildings hang precariously by boards. At Least it was a nice forest where the farmers among the tenants worked. Nice people, gave me my first job getting various fruits and cutting weeds.

The bus stop was downhill near a cliff edge with a fence to keep people from dangling from it. Another common thing in Puerto Rico around the center of the island. The bus stop sign was just a metal stick with a sign written in Spanish on the top and English at the bottom that was nearly hanging by one good screw and three rusty ones. I stood in line with other workers from various unseen jobs. You know those jobs you know are being done but barely see the workers or care. Some lesser cooks, janitorial staff, repairmen and desk drones. Some are going to change shifts with the night staff, some are just going to check if they're needed (they only get paid if they are seen doing something.)

I was basically in the middle. I don't have a strict position other than server or tour guide but I get called when extra hands are required. It was the usual waiting period for the bus but something in the air barely felt right. I thought it was Mendoza's cigarette but while that was rank, what I was feeling felt malicious. Like something evil was in the area and was around me and the other workers. Even though we were in 80-degree weather a chill went up all of our collective spines, we all shivered in unison. Here came our Boss.

"Well isn't it a lovely day everyone." He said in English confusing half of the staff. Mister Adriano was an unusual man. He was a very dark-skinned man with a muscular frame and a very impressive beard and long hair that seemed to gleam in the sun. He wore a suit and tie but his posture and usual attitude made him seem more like a surfing Taxman. Slumped back with bad posture, an easy going grin with a smile that radiated a lazy air of relaxation. Like a small stream in a forest. His wife wasn't with him, which was odd, Betty was never outside his line of sight. Maybe they finale had a lover's spat. Had a bet going on when they finally have one.

"Where's Betty? Señor Adriano." I don't speak often outside of customer interaction but it was usually around the boss I genuinely asked things. He came out of nowhere a week ago when those weird storms and disasters ended on the mainland. We usually get a lot of storms around here but that tornado shredded its way through the mainland like toilet paper. I would say his timing made it suspicious but that implied that I cared enough. The boss was decent enough, he pays, he bought the motel the workers reside in. He bought the hotel we worked at from the other guy but we forgot his name when we saw our checks became twice the size. Which wasn't much but enough.

"She's at home, working out a …" His face started to contort and bend in a way that made me think it was some backroom deal or he was paying a ransom. He had that, "We are doing this deal because we have no chance." kind of face. "Severance package from our former employers. Don't worry we will still be overseeing the hotel." The other employees shrugged with blank expressions, their eyes glazed over with apathy. Not to mention the crust on some of their eyes. This was normal for them, I was usually the least glazed over but that was for a medical reason. We were a loose coalition of Afro's, pale Spaniards, mixed mulattos and a few natives including myself. So we just assumed the strange gringo was always going to be strange the others just seem to roll their eyes whenever he says something disarming. Though they do have hard times remembering their encounters with him for some reason. Finally, the company bus rolled in and my day could officially start with my first vision of hell. To elaborate, I think I have schizophrenia. I think. Why may you ask? Well, how else would explain the one-eyed man driving the bus and the giants with six arms on the nearby mountaintops in dirty loincloths? Maybe the bird woman flying in the sky was nothing more than a trick of the light. I have never gotten checked out by a doctor (can't afford it and can't go) but I'm sure as shit know that seeing crap like this is a good sign that you at least have something. Luckily I find the drugs for hallucinations easily enough by other means sadly just visual ones.

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you see it, the boss decides to ride with us and more specifically me. Up close he smelled like an ocean and it was hard to say whether it was the good or bad kind of smell. Whether it was the smell of a gentle stream down the mountain or a raging storm with the combined scent of the depry soaked in seawater. It just seemed to be overpowering either way.

It also seemed that his hair had dips of green on the tips. Highlights? I don't know. I just tried to ignore it all which was not made easy since the boss took the window seat. I don't know why he chose to sit nearly the short native boy with hygiene issues (not from lack of trying just from lack of cash.) I'm not even worth the attention… well outside of one thing or two things. No, he wouldn't know about that. No one remembers that, not even the police.

"You know it's not nice to stare."Boss-man Adriano chided me. "Honestly though if you wish to speak. Speak then, You have garnered a reputation among your co-workers." For better or for worse? I thought.

"What do you hear hermano?" I cautioned as he gave the look of an interrogator, the blank stare of indeterminate interest with razor focused eyes of azure. "People say many things, not all of them true. Most are putos lying to get a rise out of the other." I added.

"True but I trust my sources. I just wanted to talk before giving you a special assignment." He asserted. I calmed down a bit, he changed the subject to something more manageable. Entertainment.

"So, what is it?" I questioned as he stared at the mountains and valleys. Could have sworn that his eyes followed the same monsters I was looking at. There was a difference in our observation thought as I watched with disbelief trying to push them out of my mind he seemed to examine them. Like he studied them in his spare time or they were familiar to him and he was waiting to see what was different about them. He continued to stare out the window but then turned to me with a hardened expression.

" I have some guests that have asked for a private party. Do you know the Dare family?" The stern face transfixed on me with sincere frankness. I think I knew the name, I think I worked near a place with that name.

"Do they own that mall south of El Morro?" El Morro is an old monument from the conquistador era in San Juan. It's an old musty fort surrounded by ocean and new tourist buildings. I think I saw something constructed under that name nearby once.

"Yes actually. They are rather wealthy and it appears the daughter of their illustrious C.E.O has graced my hotel. They insisted that have no catering or people waiting for them but I convinced them to at least have one." He kept his stare on me as I fidgeted with the curls in my hair.

"Why me then? They requested a 5-foot handy boy." I smirked. Adriano let loose a chuckle, breaking the stern expression stretching his skin.

"No but you're close enough in age to dear miss Dare, she is quite the cute little thing." He nudged my shoulder three times and his stern look returned with a vengeance of stretching more skin, making him look quite older. " She asked for you by name."

"Well…." I had no way of spinning that into something normal. "That's creepy." The boss switches back to happy hotel owner again from my response.

"Yes, Miss Dare does seem to be a peculiar one. Unsatisfied is what I best describe her. Her family can cover this city in gold several times over and yet unsatisfied. A paradoxical girl." I began to understand a bit better now. Reverse spoiled girl. What is that? You know that trope in Disney movies where the princess is always wanting more, however vague that may be, even though they live a life what many would kill for. Reverse spoiled is that trope given life. A rich girl who does her damndest to pretend she is normal even buying low-quality crap to "blend in" when the bitch can properly afford the penthouse above the casucha. This is going to be fan-fucking-tastic.

"I say less paradoxical and more like she's loca de la cabeza." He looked at me confused. Oh right, Adriano doesn't know Spanish. "Crazy in the head," I said in my best American accent.

"Right, right, sorry I know Latin but it appears the language strayed from its source." And he was talking weirdly again. Latin, why would he know Latin of all things? "Either way you're her personal server today. Be nice we might get a big endorsement and she might be a great tipper." At least he knows the universal motivator of dinero and plata.

"If the boss man says so." I shrugged off. At Least I will have money from the tips if I play the cordial or suaveness angle. Everyone has a preferred treatment, a preference for whatever performance I can muster. The boss man gave me the directions to where in the hotel our loaded guest was staying at. Apparently the top floor. Go figure. I absently mindedly took the elevator with a cart of food, drinks, and other consumables as I cycled through the kind of mask I'll perform. All servers have them, a sort of personality switch to make the customer feel good even if their shit's for brains. I decided for suave romantic if she was a naive brat and weary native type if she is the white guilt type. May not have a lot of dignity but it sure does loosen a blanco's wallet.

The top floor was certainly a breathtaking view of San Juan, but it is also barely a good place for a party which was my assumption as the food I had with me could easily fill 15 people. It was kind of like a penthouse, at least that was what I have been told. Large suite, a top view of the city and the ocean, private wifi and three bedrooms with a master one twice the size of the other two. I reach the door and knock three times.

"You can come in." Announced a rather loud and yet somber lady. Like she was forced here, what kind rich brat is this? A red-headed girl was there in the center of the room on a clear glass table. It was good by the hotel standards. Chipped paint at places, a simple walk-in kitchen right next to the living room with a plasma screen. Sadly, it has some cracks in the walls which I guessed were from the last storm. Some buildings in San Juan are sturdier than others, the hotel was not one of those places. My eye was caught by the girl in the center. She certainly fulfilled my expectation of rebelling her father by going the other direction. She wore an over-large shirt with that recycle symbol with a strange goat man on it. I think it was a monster from old stories. A satyr I believe. Her pants were formerly blank jeans that now have doodles and what looked like small paintings covering them.

"Did you fall asleep in front of a finger painting class,"I remarked under my breath as she played with her scarlet hair.

" You can set the food if you want. My friends should be here in a few minutes." She said nonchalantly flipping through a comic. It had a yellow stained clock with what looked like superheroes standing in front of it. I didn't know whether to feel glad she just skip the small talk and went straight to the point or insulted that she seemed to be avoiding my presence. Every time I tried to make eye contact she looked away getting her nose deeper into the comic. A bit strange doesn't even begin to describe this girl, but whatever as long as I get paid. I went through my usual routine for serving a table minus the talking. I place the plates, utensils, glass for drinks and flowers in the center. The flowers had a card written by señor Adriano. When I looked at it again through a message in golden ink was on it.

 _Sorry for siding with my brother, please don't send me to Tartarus. My part of the bargain is front and center._

 _With love and care, lord of the ocean's, the mighty Oceanus._

I wrinkled my eye's to get the sand out them and the message was still there. Before I could question what it meant the door flew open.

"Hey Rachel the coast is clear-" There was a trio of teenagers dumbfounded in the doorway and the strangeness continued. The trio was two boys and one girl, the guy to the left had furry legs. Not that he was hairy but in that he had goat feet. Hooves and all. The human parts looked like a pale-faced Jamaican with a permanent look of terror. Huh, maybe he has some grass on him, I haven't smoked in a while. The other guy and the girl were a bit more normal but gave off a more dangerous aura.

The guy from the right was the first to speak. "Wow, that smells great. Thanks for bringing it in man!" The response was forced. The boy was hiding something and his tone of forced complimentary showed it clear as the morning sun. The boy gave off tourist vibes, a typical dumb one at that. Tanned for a "blanco", short black hair and sea green eyes. I think he was at the local beach because he smelled of the ocean. Kind of a sailor or seaman type smell.

"We're Rachel's friends." the girl said seeming to force it out. Must have hated the redhead at some point. She, despite the goat legs of the left one and the more muscular frame of seaman, the girl gave the most dangerous aura. One that gave an impression that she was decided whether or not I'm a threat and what to do if I was.

"This is Annabeth, Grover, and Percy." Dare interjected. Just as uncomfortable as the other three, their stares intersecting on me. Waiting, watching my moves with a detail I have only seen veterans on the street corner possess. I guess the girl was Annabeth, the other names were harder to pinpoint.

"I'll take my leave, The food is under the metal domes and should be good. Manuelo worked extra hard on it." It came out a bit shrimpier than I wanted it to be but I felt uncomfortable with so many eyes on me especially with such fear. I'm used to people ignoring me more than anything. Dare grabbed my hand gestured me to the table.

"You can eat with us if you want. We don't mind." She was genuine in her statement but her eyes still darted the room, waiting for something to happen. Is she waiting for someone to come?

"Look if you're with child services, foster care or the police, I kindly asked them to leave me the hell alone when I got this job and I'm not leaving. I don't give a shit if you try to take me back, I will live my life by my rules." I railed at them. It was harsher than I wanted and more truthful as well. If I had to guess it was my emotions getting the better of me, I don't like having things being forced upon me. The guy with Sea green eyes was the first to react.

"No dude, we are not with any government or charity. Well official ones, Groover here is trying to start one for iguana removal here." The goat man who was apparently Grover, shifted uncomfortably when I shifted my eyes toward him. He seemed to regard me like I was ready to turn him into the spare meat for this feast.

"They are invasive, if they continue at this rate the only wildlife will be them." The goat man said reflexively which I think was for my benefit so he can show candor. Though I am not sure why yet?

"I believe the food has started to already cool down we can get to the talking later," Annabeth said with hurried breath and took a seat. She gestured for me to take a seat right next to Miss Dare. Why do they want me to sit with them? I started to set up plates and rolled off who ordered what, which was rather strange. The boy with the muscular frame, who I guessed was named Percy had ordered blue pancakes. Blue pancakes for crap's sake. Which matched with his blue jeans, blue sweatshirt and sea green eyes made him look he might spit or piss blue as well or was from an off-brand Teletubbies shirt from my last job in the flea market.

Now I know that might bring the image of him as this happy-go-lucky kid at heart type of guy, a teddy bear. I think a killer surfer would be infinitely more accurately. He seemed happy but I felt a readiness for something to happen at any moment. He was ready to start or end something if needed. It's just I couldn't tell what he wanted, like usually with tourist. This guy gave the idiot vibe but not the starry-eyed. He was laser focused on me, his food and Annabeth in properly not that order. He noticed my staring.

"You okay man?" he inquired with a mouth full of pancakes.

" Umm, I'll just give the rest of your dishes," I replied in accented English, maybe try for the confused spanglish waiter. I placed Grover's meal of cheese quesadilla with a fruit salad and a simple Cubano for the blond hair one. Rachel was enjoying the simplest meal of cereal and some buttered toast. That one was just insulting. Manuelo was planning a huge lobster he caught himself for this. "I'll leave you to your breakfast," I said coldly trying to tunnel my vision to the door and ignore the pale Jamaican goat legs.

"You see them don't you." Rachel said casually as I grasped the doorknob. "Grover's legs, they are wired but you get used to it." She spoke calmly while breaking at points to munch on toast. Great! rich girl is sharing my delusions.

"Rachel!" Annabeth yelled. "Fine! The direct route it is. We are from a summer camp for...our kind." My ear perked at the wording. Not these assholes again.

"We have recently been hit by some hard times and we really like would for you to come. Honestly, we can't figure how you lived this long without any help. We kinda assumed that there would be two others at least." The sea green boy added while the goat man nodded.

"Most -" I cut off the supposed goat man's words.

"Great more jackass pretending their Kalinagos. For the last time, no I will not join your "tribe", no I will not bring back my tribe stupid traditions and go fuck yourself for trying to get me involved in your activism." I didn't even care anymore I just let it all out, I don't care what they say I'm leaving. There is nothing they can say next that will shock me.

"You're the son of a god." Rachel let loose after finishing her bowl. Ask and I shall receive. The other three turn to face her at the same time I did.

"Rachel!" Yelled Percy. "He probably thinks we are saying bull-" He barely got the last bit before I threw a pot at him and ran.


	2. rise in the afternoon

As one would do in my situation as soon as the rich redhead from new York said I was the son of god. Or was it a son of a god. I threw a tray the muscled surfer as the blonde with gray eyes and Jamaican goat man looked in surprise. I wish to say that I thought it was a bull right there and stormed out like a boss. What I actually must say is that I took the quickest way to the elevator and used the employee key to shut it off immediately. My hand was still shaking on the key still in the control panel.

" What the fuck!" I clapped my hands onto my face. "I threw my best job away." I should properly chastise myself for thinking about my minimal wage job and not the fact that those people were properly from a cult. And not the fun kind. I sat in the corner of the elevator trying to compose myself and figure out what the hell is going on! My hand and face were beading with sweat and with my hands being over them it started to pooling into them. The door finally opened to the main lobby door. And while I could start talking about the gaudy Greco-roman statues and water fountain with a naked bearded man that looked suspiciously like mister...Adriano, I rather run as far away as possible from those loons.

The letter popped into my mind when I said his name and the name on the letter kept rattling in my mind. Oceanus, Oceanus, God damn Oceanus. Why the hell does that name sound familiar! It clung and clanged like a loose bot in a long rusted machine. By the time the frustration stopped, I was in front of the statue of Boss-man. The statue aside from some difference in features they looked exactly the same. The biggest difference were horns on the sides of his head that looked like crab claws. Maybe...no,no,no,no,no! I'm not believing those guys just because my boss looks like some statue. I looked at myself and saw the nameplate of the statue which made me anger grow. It had Oceanus engraved with some info on the gold plating.

Oceanus, eldest of the Titans, father of the rivers and their nymphs. Most importantly of all the most faithful of the divines.

Faithful had a marker adjustment the read "mostly" on the tail end along with "tethy forgive me". Which sounded uncomfortably like Adriano wife Betty...tethy...betty. The more I sounded it out in my head the more they sounded similar. NO no, I'm not going down that rabbit hole. I went past the fountain and went into the kitchen to get friends help.

In most case of poverty like me, no family help and no love for foster homes you learn to make backups when you're found out for running away or being an unsupervised youth in general. My backup is Aegle, I know a weird name but she is the closest thing I have to a friend along with Manual. She was in front of a stove cooking some empanadas. The scent nearly distracted me from Aegle.

"Seriously one Blanco was enough to make you quit your post." She said with a low, harsh voice. Imagine your abuela smoking a 12-pack daily while garbling several pounds of sand and you have Aegle sound and look. Very leathery skin that resembles a burlap sack bleached white with very sharp eyes that sometimes flicker like a predator. She was, as I can best describe a grandmother who fought, lived and breathed war than let herself go a bit except for her arms. She flicked her braided silver hair over her shoulder as I described the loons but didn't mention the camp or the son of a god shit because I didn't even want to think about that bit.

"You know those Jesus camps on the other islands. The ones were they force people to submit to Jesus or they never leave. They gave me that vibe." She shrugged her shoulder at my concern giving me an empanada. " Seriously they were like PTSD ridden cultist," I said biting down on my food.

"Elio remember the Feminist conference." I shuddered for a few seconds have Nam flashbacks to a large group of women yelling patriarchy and privilege left and right. I still hear them at night, offer one lady a free drink and suddenly you're running from the convention from a mob paying for later damages.

"I don't want to but yes, But these-" she held a hand over my face.

"And then there was the congregation of those Haitian Santa Marians." The sound of several angry priests rattles in my mind as the image of me, Aegle and Manual carrying several snakes away burned itself into my eyes again. The smell of snakes didn't leave my arms for a week.

"You were the one who wanted to rescue the snakes." She gave me an exasperated sigh.

"And you verbally assaulted the priests and their faith. You told the head of the congregation that he was a bargain bin pope and his priest's pedophiles in training. You have a tendency towards-"

"Honesty and frankness," I said earnestly chowing down on another empanada.

" being an assshole, yes." she gingerly puts a hand on my shoulder as she pulls a fresh batch of food from the oven. " You tend to assume the worst and then make it worse by reacting according to what you think and not what is not there." she eyes my messy eyesight, the way my vision darted around to find something to focus on. "You took your pills for the day right?" She chided me. She inspected my face with rigorous perception and urgent worry oozing from a disapproving frown. She was close enough to me that I could count her liver spots. I give a sigh.

"I didn't take the pills, they make me slower." listening to myself it sounded whiny like a kid stomping his foot and crying while his parent was trying not to be mortified. Raised her hands to her face, cupping them in disappointment.

" What did you see?" she held my face gingerly examining my reaction quite closely, her hand felt quite cold and hard for some reason like her leathery skin became part iguana for a moment and her skin flickered green for a moment. I took a breath.

"The pale Jamaican had goat legs and you had green skin for a second there." Her face went stone face stuck in quiet contemplation. For a few seconds, her face went through a gambit of movement. First anger that made her eye go "predator stalking its prey" mode for a second, or what is more vengeful? Then it went more towards sad resignation, a sense of fear that crept into eyes darting every which way. She grabbed me with a pot of food.

"What are you-?" she pulled me from the kitchen, the pot swing back and forth as burst through multiple doors.

"What else did they say to you?!" Her voice was starting to crack in a panic yelling sort of way. She finally stopped running in a frenzied state and started frantically looking in all directions. After orienting myself I saw we were in the back parking lot of the Hotel, specifically the employee parking spots. It gave me some ideas as to why was Aegle dragging me here. She has no car so in all likelihood with her frenzied state, we might be "liberating" a car. It's also a bit funny that Aegle was reprimanding me for leaving my post but now she is dragging me around in the parking lot looking for a getaway vehicle and I know she is looking for one because she has settled on the "o shit,o shit" look of despair and fear. A classic face in times of crisis most popularized by small black comedians such as Chris Tucker and his upgrade Kevin Hart.

"They said some bullshit about me being the son of a god!" it came out angrier than it should but I didn't care anymore. She didn't seem to hear my words anyway, standing still and staring blankly. I saw a look of pain spike in her cheeks. "Are you-" She began to change. What do I mean by that? Ever seen in some superhero or fantasy stories where there is a shapeshifter that changed seamlessly into a new shape. Remove the seamless part and that was basically what I saw. Through painful, baneful screaming she started to burst through her own skin. Her leathery, wrinkled skin was shedding away making way for hard emerald scales that gleamed what little light that was in the parking lot. Scales popping from the worn skin like long-buried ingrown hairs minus the puss thankfully.

I got weirder when I saw what was happening below her waist. Now before you start making a mental image I'm not talking naughty sections. Trust me if I had to trade what I saw with being harassed by a flashing hobo all day I would seriously consider the merits of staring at a random man's dingleberries. Her legs began fusing quite painfully as her screaming suggested into a large snake tail slightly longer than let's say your average lady, so about 5'5 in length. It had a brown splotchy pattern like the boa snakes that are common this side of the island. Faced with this amount of excitement I took the manliest route and passed right there and then.

Dreams are weird, at least that's what I'm told. Visions people have at night that might be related to what they did in the day or nothing at all. Never got it as a concept, or at all really. I didn't know people dreamed until I left home. Before any conclusions are made I do sleep. It's just I see, feel and experience nothing when I do. Imagine endless darkness to what felt a few seconds to you but when you wake and its morning. That doesn't mean I don't get nightmares, by god do I do get nightmares. It's just that for me they happened when I was awake. Imagine little confusion at people talking about there weird dreams while you nothing or the worst nightmare. Thank you, life.

As I ascribed, I simply woke from my lack of dreams. The time was early sunset as the clouds were starting to get bloody red in preparation for when they would be drenched of the black of night. I felt a crushing sensation, not enough to harm but enough to know I can't move without something hard and rough giving me "Indian burns". Who invented that phrase by the way? I don't remember any story about a tribe uncomfortably burning peoples arms, trust me my tribe at least had the capacity for much worse. The discomfort was coming from my torso so I gazed downward trying to glimpse what was constricting my movement. Sure enough, a snake tail was pinning me to the corner of a pickup truck, spilling out from the drivers back window.

"Oh good your up. I don't have to prop you up." The tail receded into the driver seat. With that, I could now see that I was in the back of a pickup truck with my stuff from my apartment on the far back while I was behind the driver seat. "Ssshame, I thought you would be sssleeping the whole the trail through like when we first met." A memory went quickly in my mind of a kindly older women letting a preteen catch a ride in her truck and her giving some pity by buying some food for the both of them. I looked around again to get specific info on what trail we were on. The path was a very messy gravel road, they are not too uncommon in the south end of the island to some of the lesser villages, meaning...oh no. "We ain't going towards El ponce if you hadn't figured it out. There'sss a ssstop I want to take you to before we do anything elssse." The voice was definitely Aegle but much sharper and smoother and snake lisp. She always had one but now it was overpowering.

" So how long?" I said, stealing my nerves. I don't really want to know, I wanted to forget all this happened and wake to Aegle at my bedside saying I caught a bug the knocked me outperform I could deliver the food. I won't deny that but I also didn't want to be left in any darkness anymore. "How long were you hiding ...this?" I could barely describe what I witness or at least recall it in a way that didn't warrant a similar response. She apparently heard me because the truck immediately stopped hard enough to send me flying if I didn't have an iron grip at the moment.

"You know what, ssscrew sssecrets, ssscrew hiding at this point. You remember how to start a fire?" That seemed a bit disjointed but I obeyed seeing as it was my only option for answers. I gathered some dried sticks and leaves from the forest floor on the side of the road the side of the road. Aegle kept a close eye on me with full reptile eyes as she took the pot of empanadas from the back of the truck. Guess my clothes will smell delicious now since they had been right next to it.

"Alright, the first question What are you and what am I?" Obvious questions first to anchor everything in a sense of this what normal is now.

"You're a demigod, half mortal half divine. I'm a sssnake." A bit too obvious but at least she still acted the same despite scales.

"A bit too quick to lay it on me but is that a good or bad thing?"

"Yessss and no". She sighed. Aaand back to gibberish Again.

"Why?" She held her head with an inquisitive hand while stirring the pot over the fire. Her feature became more youthful, my best guess is that since I witnessed was her shedding her skin in the horror film way and the natural way snake actually does. Her skin was still tanned but now inlined with green scales along the edges of her body like natural body armor. All the rest is what you expect from a snake hybrid, Snakes eye slits, flat nose, fork tongue, and fangs. I would properly be sacred if the face didn't mostly stay the same. Kind but stern, attentive when needed but will bite your head off if you piss her off, guess that's literal now.

"Demigodsss, as the name impliesss are the children of the godsss. In your case the greek onesss." She explained.

"There are other ones? Wait what about Jes-" she clasped her scaled hands over my mouth.

"Sssaying the names of godsss draw their attention, that or being very attractive. In the cassse of that one." She trailed off. "Besides the Judeo god is more metaphysssical nowadaysss."

"That explains nothing."

"Quiet! The godsss are a very … whats the word you would use for angry and horney all the time." She stammered looking the sky with legitimate fear. I start to rattle in my mind all the greek stuff I could remember, it wasn't much but a few things rattled.

"Bangry, so they have children with humans sometimes. How does this apply to me in any way.?" She poured the food from the pot in two small clay bowls and gave one to me. A simple soup with a few pieces of steak takes me back to when she let me travel around with her learning to survive.

" Yesss, that is the big question that I don't know. If they wanted you for their camp they would have done that when you were younger. Then again since they just got out of combat, they may want to quickly replenish their numbersss." She jabbed me several times in the chest.

"Combat? Wait didn't that Jackson guy talks about a camp." I Recalled, rising to my feet.

"Yesss, Wait for What!." She shot out from her seat and looked like I just said Hitler came back to life and is marching this way. "Are you sure that his name was Jackssson!" She was yelling now, nearly straight to my ear.

"I think so?" I blurted out. Her snake features made it look like she was going to pounce on me and swallow me whole for mentioning that guy's name.

"Oh by the light of Heliosss! A sssatyr and Jackssson, must be Underwood and the other one? Did ssshe have blond hair and grey eyesss?" She commanded. She opened her mouth and let her forked tongue waggle in the air. Yeah weird but explainable. Snakes smell by flicking their tongues in the air, it's why they flick it every few seconds. Does Not make it less weird just explainable and in this case, the more explainable bits of weirdness are welcomed.

"Yeah and a redhead who likes to draw on her clothes, what's the point? Wait! You know those people!" I'm what you can call the quick-witted sort. For example, if Aegle was a monster that wanted me dead or eats me, should have done it by now so I did not have much to fear from her. Hopefully. Another example if she knew them by name and even as a big snake monster quaked by their mention, safe to say that there either dangerous for both of us or to her. Either way unacceptable.

"I have heard storiesss from the mainland of a child of the big three, the main godsss of olympusss. Of a child who fought against all The Fates could throw at him and stand still." The surfer? Although now that I think about it. I remember the sharpness, the tension in his demeanor. He was playing the fool or perhaps was one but has done things that won't leave his mind. "Their spawn are some of the most powerful, I heard it said that he fought your father sssingle handedly and left without a scratch."

"Not that big of an accomplishment if I don't my father position in the divine Ma'am." She blinked twice and starting laughing.

"It'sss nice to know that you still treat fairly, even knowing what I'm truly am. Your father wasss… Remember you can tell me to stop whenever you please. I know it's overwhelming and I know how talking about your family tends to set you off." I trembled a tiny bit, my fist rested on my four head while my other hand was covering it open palmed. I have mixed views on father and only pity for my mother. Aegle gave away he was the divine one between but I didn't the hint. Gods don't die. My father was also arrogant enough to be one. Only his swagger was enough to silence a room, his voice could be reading bedtime stories and be frightful, his stare made men turn to little boys in a few minutes. My mother had fear at least. She always found ways to frighten people, whether wanting to or not, whether caring or not. She did as she wanted and there's where my compliments end.

"No, if this is my life now. I have no choice in the matter. Tell me everything that is useful to me." I raise my face to match her, match her reptilian, predatory stare with my own. She slithered towards me and hugs me. The scales poking into my skin. I saw something clutched in her hands. A gleaming necklace. May surprise you but I really like gemstones, they shine and blind those who seek them and when properly maintained don't lose their luster. One of the two places I actually liked working at was a stand selling Taino necklaces. Sure they weren't actual tribal jewelry, they use more wood and lizard/turtle symbols but I could stare at them all day if I wish. I can barely explain why I like them but they do bring a simile to my face. Aegle let me go and held the necklace in front of my eyes.

"Thisss isss my gift to you, a form of protection from certain ...dangerousss elementsss thought I am aware of your opinion on cryssstal healing." I shrugged.

"Honestly with everything that happened I believe Superman is properly in the bushes waiting for Wonder Woman to give me several years worth of birthday money." She snickered at my comment. I still didn't really believe the crystal healing nonsense but she means well. It also looks really nice.

"It's not that grandiossse but this will help keep your mind at eassse. If not that then at leassst focusssed for what comesss ahead." She wrapped the necklace around my neck. The chain was made of lustrous gold on the right, the left of it was silver. The centerpiece, the thing that had the gems, was an inverted pyramid.

"So is it just a snake thing your is that a lisp?"

"Oh that, I just wanted to know if you're paying attention. Most of my kind has but I got rid of the accent years ago to get better work." She said matter of factly, Thought it did make sense. " Being a demigod is very dangerous the more one knows about the more your scent becomes irresistible. Monsters hunt your kind for sport or food when they are aware of you."

"Wait for what?" I was drawing a blank the size of Texas.

"Think of it this way, typically you learn you're a demigod late in childhood or at least near puberty end. You start making a magical scent when that happens. Either a satyer finds you and bring you to their camp, camp half blood or your die. Your a…." She spread her arms and let them slump making a clunk sound when the scales of her arms hit her torso. "Special case to say the least." I start to piece together what I understand.

"I'm screwed is what you're saying." she nods.

"Oh most definitely its only because your father laid claim to the island." I listen, particularly to the last bit. Dad was frightening but taking the isle and battling someone that would a fraction of his age was disorienting. "Again I won't say his name but you will know his place in the divine totem pole. What do you know of the Titans?"


	3. Fallen by night

"Next to nothing," I replied to her question. She sighed.

"They were the divine family until the gods took over. To make the creation story nice and short-" It was not nice and short. It was nightfall when she finished. To make things simple I'll summarize. The first "it" couple, sky and earth had kids that were the titans who represent ancient elements or aspects of the world, Light, time, death, prophecy, constellations and the ocean. She didn't give a name but my father was the titan of heavenly light, strange position buts sound important. The Sky hates their next batch of kids the first cyclops and the hundred-handed ones which to be fair just sound ugly enough to be angry at. Especially if your first kids are the divine giants whose heads reach the sky. Earth got cranky and had her children fight their father. Nearly no-one had the balls to kill him except my uncle Kronus who chopped him up real good. My father and his brothers helped to restrain him so Kronus gave them the territories of north, south, east and west. All but my uncle Oceanus who didn't do shit but stay in the ocean so he got that by default. My father was the lord of the east. She stops there.

"What else? He became the lord of the east and then what?" She shrugged.

"He was the most powerful of his brothers but not more so than Atlas and Kronos himself. Honestly, he never did much of worth. Outside of giving humanity sight and most of us agree it was because wish for them to bask in his splendor. His children did more than him but the short of it. Kronos children rebelled, won and sent them to Tartarus." She said it all so calmly I started to question both our sanities. This can't be right, right? This is all a hallucination from a gas leak. Yet why do I feel that is should believe it.

"Wait you said, Children? I have siblings." She gave an even longer sigh.

"They are...were the titans of the sun, moon, and Dawn." I looked at her funny.

"Why does the dawn have its own god?"

"Goddess, Eos the rosy-fingered dawn." She said proudly. I don't know though, not that intimidating of a title. I shall smite you with morning dew. "Most gods are devious but Eos is mostly harmless. Mostly interested in her morning ride and attracting young men, so you're properly safer from her." I took the backhanded compliment in stride. Also, that implies incest so nope.

"What about the other two, the sun and the moon." I pointed upwards. Are they watching me?" I said terrified that I had siblings who properly saw everything from the sky. She seemed sad for a moment and then composed herself.

"Remember when I said that Jackson boy took down your father." She was stark serious with a guarded look, her arms crossed. I sensed something wrong with the guy but I thought he was just a dumbass, but he is something more dangerous. A powerful dumbass.

"He killed him didn't he?" I asked sincerely but she waved her hand half-heartedly.

"Yes and no, there are ways to beat divine beings in combat. They all are easy in theory but much harder in practice especially with your father. From my sources, he seemed to push your father back and the satyrs used magic to turn him into a tree." I looked at her waiting for the punch line. It was a very bad joke. She stood stone face. Oh god, oh gods whatever! She is not joking.

"What? Tree, maple what?" I scramble nearly falling over. She picked me up and put me in the passenger seat.

"I'll let that set in and get us to our next destination." I let myself sink into the car seat trying to focus on the landscape to regain stability. I saw that we were at a campsite that had peculiar markings such as purple and orange shirts and a sign saying.

Where are your gods now?

"Were avoiding the people that did that right?"

"If that makes you happy." I couldn't tell if she was joking. I have a feeling that's going to be a catchphrase. "There's one last gift, a peace offering for you."

"May I ask why? I like the necklace but what else am I getting." If there is one thing I learned it's that everything has a price. What did the next gift cost? Also, the term peace offering is not giving me the jollies.

"A general from the army your father led wanted to give recompense." I twitch slightly. That does not give me confidence that it will be a good gift. " From what I understand, he thought that a child of your father should have a chariot. Your father provided a chariot but the not the animal but he will have a selection to choose from." So, my fathers, only gift after being gone for nearly a decade is a god damned chariot. A car, no. A home that isn't in a shanty town, no. An education that isn't self-taught, no. A god damned chariot with no animal, that I probably have to feed. Thanks, dad.

"Wait how are you driving" I turned to look downward at the driver seat to meet something that had me chuckling. "What the hell are you using?" I said trying to suppress my laughter. It was a golden seat with mechanical legs that were overly detailed, cellulose, leg hair and all.

"Made by telkhines, ugly beast but useful beasts. They made that necklace you have and use actual magic." Actual magic?

"They make steam punk props?" I partly started to watch my surroundings as we went ever more south to the west to the town of ponce.

"Weapons, armor, charms depends on what you order and what you give them. They are good at making things but not finding things. You worked for one ounce." Did I? Guess with Aegle being a monster the whole time I guess a lot of the people I encountered and saw where monsters. A thought occurs thought. "The tall, waddling old man with the dog like face." I always thought that man was disfigured but being a monster properly explains his ugly face as well. Not to be mean to the man Ignacio's forge was by far one of my most filling jobs right next to the farm and second most fun right next to the flea market.

"Why can I see monsters then. I saw them before I knew I was a demigod." I remarked. She gave a glare.

"Demigod naturally sees through the mist, (the veil that keeps the mortals from seeing monsters and the gods.) but you are right most see most clearly after they learn their heritage. Perhaps it's one of your abilities, true sight."

"True Sight. Its at least what would I call it, to see through the mist clearer than some demigods, the disguises of monster are powerful but the magical ones you apparently see through." I guess that makes some sense, if dad gave humans sight then it makes sense my power involves that but that seem weak for the son of an elder divine. "Any more questions or do you wish to stay quiet." I think for a second.

"Why did you look after me. Why did dad have me? What do I do now." She lowered her head downward in sullen dread.

"The first is simple, the second unknown to me, the third is…complicated but your choice. I was assigned to you to make sure you lived after your mother died. Dracae is what my kind is called but I am deformed by their standards, they have two tails and I have one. I delivered messages for various groups even the gods at one point but like many things they forgot us. As for the why, I don't know. You father rarely cared about his own troops much fewer humans and his own children. We assumed that he forgot them, we joined because… we wanted justice." I saw her face distort into anger. A look one gave when remembering something painful, I let her cool off a bit after she lets slip out. She did say Helios, Eos and Selene were but she talked about Eos like she was alive so the other two are gone. Wow, not even a full day and I have not only family but dead family members. "The last thing is up to you, the boy gave you the option to go to their camp where you will get food and shelter as long as you play puppet." I shifted my head to my shoulders.

"To the gods, I'm guessing." she nodded her head keeping one eye on the road and the other on me.

"You do my old snake heart proud to know I raised you to be smart. That or you go with me."

"I aim to please. If it's all the same to you I think I'll make my decision now and go with you." She turned her head all the way to face me and stopped the car suddenly.

"Don't make decisions lightly!" She shouted. She nearly started hissing again. "I will bring you to where what remains of the army, there are some demigods still there that chose to live far from the gods in new york, they could barely fight but they do make good merchants." She seems to calm down again and decide it's not the time for questions anymore, I can't even think of any more to ask her.

"It was not a lie you know." She said sadly, her voice slightly breaks "At first I didn't like my talents being wasted to be a babysitter but you grew on me somewhat." She chuckled, her eyes starting to water. "I...I..I-" I hug her from the side, my left hand from her shoulder interlocking with my right to make a circle hug hanging from her neck.

"I know, your eyes blink three times when you lie." She returns the hug with tears dripping down her eyes with the scent of salt on them.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"An arrow knocked itself into the dashboard Cutting her off.

"The fuck?" I yelled as another arrow notched itself near my neck

"Dammit, they found us!" She screamed trying to dodge arrows and drive the car. I looked behind us and saw only an orange splotch in a sea of dark leaves and branches.

"Can Jackson fly?" I said frantically trying to find a projectile.

"No that would a child of Zeus, a son of Poseidon, a lord of the sea is who we face. If I have to guess a pegasus."

"Is he a good shot?" An arrow went into the roof getting only halfway in. An idea brews in my mind to get rid Jackson. Not a single shot has hit us yet, some were close but no direct hit. I take the arrows from the various places they were logged in and pile them on my lap. "Do you have poison?" She points to the glove compartment. It was a long shot but it had what I need. "May I?"

" Look I need to release some poison for my fangs and glands sometimes." She said reflexively. The poison was clear with a tinge of yellow in jam jars. Two to be precise. I take all the arrows and jam it in, pun intended. Aegle put a hand in front of me. "Try to aim it like a dart but if they get close enough to the window just toss them in their direction." She dictated. I follow her directions to the letter but decide to leave them in the jar. I lower the window so I can sit on the door. Now for the nice people or those with no sense of wisdom, don't attempt this in any shape or form because in all likelihood I will fall off and leave half of my skin on the forest floor. Maybe my neck would be broken, the bottom line doesn't replicate. I used to play darts in the employee lounge but trust me that barely helps when I'm holding poison-tipped arrows while sitting on the window of a moving car. It took all my ass clenching ability not be thrown off as Aimed at the moving black mass. In the rising moonlight, I saw a bit clearer and know for a fact that he was on a flying horse. Yet that was a low mark on my what the fuck meter today. Either I aim for Jackson or his horse? I took a better look while I saw something odd, I know the flying horse with wings would be usually the first thing I saw two but its something else. It was almost that I saw an aura around Jackson that seemed...strong. And not that it seemed that he was ready for anything but more in a literal I saw a faint glowing aura of protection around him, shielding him. A voice echoed in my mind.

 _The Styx shields, the Styx protects. You will be forced to make recompense_. Okay...that was more poignant than I would like. In shows or movies, schizophrenics have this deep narrative driven voice that attacks them with personal insults. Most of the times in real life its random gibberish and loud noises, if there is a voice it can be neutral like " _the sky is green_ " over and over again or pleasant " _you're are wonderful"_ voices. At Least some other than instructional. So when they start to make coherent sense be very afraid especially if there negative it means it's at its worse. Bottom line when the voice in my head starts giving advice be very afraid.

"Jackson would be vulnerable to arrows, right? Does the name Styx mean anything to you?" Oh great, I'm listening to the voice now. Terrific.

"Did you say the river Styx?!" She started swerving in response. She thinks for a moment and shakes her head. "That explains how he killed your father then. He has the curse of Achilles." I understood what the meant, slightly. I remember that he was a hero from a myth that had a bad heel but from what she said it seems to be some sort of power. I thought about how it could help him beat my father. I barely knew him so it hard to think of anything concrete I guess it could give… invincibility. Oh crap. I try to think of something _. Aim not for he who leads, aim for what carries the teens_. And now this creep shit. Shot in the dark, I try to think it out as I throw the arrow. The arrow flew for a short bit toward Jackson but was quickly deflected by a glowing sword that was now in view. He started to fly ever closer to the truck with the pegasus ever more in my sight. It had ebon hair and raven-like wings with empty eyes. Who the hell looks at that and thinks "that's a great mount". It was definitely majestic in its movement and manner but its actions, its stare, its look, that stare gave off the aura of rebellion. Like it would kick off most rider given the chance. Kick off the rider! Of course. The Pegasus came closer now with Jackson and the blond girl. I didn't see the satyr but the sounds of pan flutes were within the air and the trees moved slightly. Guess that makes sense, nature creature, nature magic. I kept my eye on the winged horse and tried to ignore both of the Blancos.

"What are you doing?" Percy Jackson screamed.

"We can give you sanctuary. The camp is the only place you can be safe." The girl added. I ready my jar as they increased velocity with the horse nearly neck and neck with the car.

"Consider this my answer in the form of a toxic hail mary." I held the jar sideways as the contents blew in the wind, the arrows, the venom, all going in the direction of the raven pegasus. The horse started to convulse and bucked off Jackson and his girlfriend off its back. I would be lying if I said I didn't take pleasure in the way the jackass fell straight on his ass in the dirt. It was like a stunt gone wrong. I was sorry for the horse, it didn't deserve the arrows and venom to the face but I needed an escape. I think he tried to yell something before we got out of earshot but we manage to escape into the wilderness. Hopefully, that will be that last of them for a while.

"W-w-w-we manage to lose them." The realization slowly reached Aegle as an I climb, precariously back into my seat.

"Don't be so sure. I remember three of them being at the hotel."

"Oh your right, that means goat boy might still pursue." She had an angry way about her when she said goat boy. Didn't she say something about satyr's against my father?

"Now what?" I try to ready for a nap. This amount of excitement has left me worn out.

"Nacho, he runs the ranch nearby or at least keeps the animals running rampant." Oh yeah. An animal to pull my chariot. Glad to know that this is my new normal from now on. "Remember Ignacio from the forge?" I close my eye as I strain to remember where that name felt right. Not a common name to say the proper way, most people go by Nacho with that name and I swear if you bring up those cheese covered chips I will deck you in the schnoz. Then something came to me in a haze. A bright forge, a roaring flame, a small ugly man with great skills in making repairs and creating jewelry.

"Wait! That Nacho!" The general that was gifting a war beast was my old boss. I worked for him for three years in Ramos, a small town north of El Yunque. I helped at his forge and learned some skill in bending and manipulating metal. It wasn't my longest job or my most enjoyable one but it was the most fulfilling. There is no other feeling like making tools with your own hands and saying that you know how to make half the things people things people need day to day. It's like you are above them in a certain way like they always need you no matter how much they pretend to be better than you.

"Yes. That Nacho, he was the leader of the Telkhines for a bit before your father dismissed him."

"Wait why was he dismissed?" She started to sway on the road, we properly lost a wheel so it was actually quite astounding that we are still driving semi-properly.

" He had a habit of ...Questioning authority." She said casually now resting her head on her fist. From her tone, she explained this plenty of times. " He questions some of your uncle's tactics and by you fathers authority he was moved to this outpost."

"Wait for outpost!" I yelled jumping from my seat.

"This isle is far away enough from the gods that they barely notice anything that happens here. It's the same for Alaska except that Poseidon sends the occasional hurricane." Annnd she let that bombshell drop. " He hasn't done it in a while but...watch your back when near the sea. It should only be 20 minutes away from the ranch." With that, I sunk back into my seat wide-eyed. Apparently, one of the worst kind of disasters that can befall the island is caused by the father of the guy I just threw poison at. Maybe the ranch will be nice and quiet, Nacho was always level-headed. Maybe a little nap to keep me going later.


	4. stagnation at twilight

The nap was an awful idea, a truly horrid idea. I think I said that I didn't understand dreams since I never got them. I do understand nightmares though. I think it's because imagining something bad happening randomly at night while you slept was easier for me to think about. I didn't get those types of dreams either nonetheless. Until now that is. How to describe it? I was falling, simple enough to comprehend so far. The sky was multi-colored with tints of the colors that make the rainbow with red and blue being most prominent. Okay getting weirder but not enough not to be able to deal with. There was a face in the sky looking down on me with its features disguise around a field of shadows. Okay, now it's the time to start panicking. The only parts that were visible enough to tell it was a face were the two eyes and Cheshire grin. The eyes were strange in shape, one was as best described as a hollow circle with a small dot in the middle of its, the other was a crescent moon. Both had a silver glow spilling out from them. The Cheshire smile was haunting, it looked unnatural, crooked, broken and false. Like a creature for to smile even when its body is incapable of doing so. It seems the type of smile that would be brimming at the slightest provocation or at times of great sadness. It radiated pure fear and it bore itself into my sight.

"Hello, hello! What a marvelous surprise. What brings you to this side of the multiverse young man?" The face asked earnestly, its smirk growing larger and glowing like the eyes. I began to fall faster through the air and I began stumbling in circles. I stopped after a while and saw the ground that I was falling towards. It was a city, I believe so anyway. The city seems to has collided with three other cities. One part of four cities, colliding in the middle with the different part going in the cardinal directions. To the north was a city that looked like pictures of New York but like the smile on the shadow face, it was distorted. There were three empire state buildings with three different symbols above them.

The one in the middle of both of them was a lightning bolt striking a mountain. It loomed the largest, staggering above the other two like a literal mountain. The other two were even stranger. The one to its left was a version of the building with an ankh and dimming golden light. The last one, with lack of words, was ghostly. It radiates spectral light and I heard wailing come from even given my distance from it.

"Is this the world of your origin? It's quite crowded and this is not even half of them. I get that feeling. To be overlooked. To be forgotten. Say! since you apparently can reach my realm I'll reach you when you sleep again. Our time has run out too fast my good man." A dark shadowed hand grabs me by the leg and the view of the other cities come into view but no specifics. The south was a like an older version of New York with some additions that make it seem like a 1920's china town. The west side was a steampunk nightmare of old technology and airships flying off. Eastside was an old looking, European city with a corner of a large fortress over the rest of a quarter circle of a city. This is some sort of metropolises made of smaller cities. " may you play your role well my young Demigod." The face said sincerely. "My name is eclipso by the way."

I shot up from my seat. Sweat beading on my forehead.

" holy crap what happened to you!" Aegle tended to my side immediately with a hand over my forehand. While it is nice that she is showing a more caring nature now that she revealed herself. It's quite a heel turn from what I remembered from our early days. She would patch me up but she more or less let me lick my own wounds. I earned a lot of scars that way on my back and arms. This could mean many things but two most promptly. She afraid of losing me now to that camp, maybe of me losing my life since they seem to think shooting arrows at me will bring me to their side. The other is that it may be a point of no return now, a threshold there is no returning from. If we continue this there will be great pain. I barely know what all this means but I can gather that much from all that happened. Especially from that baneful nightmare. What did that voice mean by reaching me?

"I'm fine Aegle. Just a nightmare." Her worry didn't leave.

"We both know you damn well have nightmare or dreams but then...guess your abilities are kicking in."

"What abilities?" I looked at her dumbfounded.

" well …" she held her hands in front of her in a contemplative manner. " you know that Captain America in those marvel movies? Essentially that. You have the increased attributes of a human. Enchanted strength, intellect, agility. All the basics things humans have. Sometimes they have special powers based on their parent's domain but that's rare." Kind of generic as far as powers go but I'm not in the position to complain. " there are also some weaknesses you gain.

"Wait for what?" I replied with an open mouth.

"With all that power there is always a weakness. They don't have normal dreams for one, usually, it's just a god trying to contact them or threaten them." Okay, that kind of explains my nightmare. "You also have a weakness to divine metals like celestial bronze." Oh, come on! I have my own freaking kryptonite. " that's not here or there, it's time to get you a pet." Quick to dismiss the fact there is a metal specifically made to kill people like me Aegle got out of the car, slithering into the entrance of a ranch. The ranch was overgrown with shrubs and palm trees with a faded sign that the name "El Rancho Ges Triple". At the bottom, there was a piece of wood that had a little extra writing on it shabby white paint. "Subsidiario" For you mainlanders out there it means Triple G Ranch: Subsidiary. I got out of the car and followed Aegle snake prints up the hill. She looked out into the coast from the vantage point, a hill on top of six other smaller ones in a steep incline. Not good for a car, so it's probably smart that we left the scrap heap to rest. You were a good soldier scrappy.

"So is Nacho down there or anywhere" I looked around trying to find the actual ranch. It was fairly barren, at least for a ranch. No horses, Cows or any animals. Just more and more plants.  
"He's past the trees but yes the lack of animals is disconcerting." As she let lose those last few words the wailing of several animals filled the air.

"Oh come on! settle down already!" A coarse, older man's voice boomed from behind the foliage as a stampede of barn animals from pigs to bulls. They were all running our way nearly killing us in a massive stampede. Aegle and I ran in opposite directions getting to the sides of the rampage. We got a prime seat to what those animals were running from. The ground started to rumble, clouds of green smoke spilled from the forest, the cry of a hunting beast rattled me to my core. It was hard to describe them since I was not expert on mythology but I think I could describe most. Luckily for you and me while some had weird extra parts they were all familiar. A Lot of them were snakes or lizards is my meaning, only bigger, meaner and spikyer. Is that a word? It should be a word. Some looked like large komodo dragons, the snake-like beasties had a coral snake feel to them as they went past the gates to follow the other animals. When it was over the trail I and Agle were on was trampled to nonexistence. It didn't stand a chance.

"What the hell Nacho!" Aegle Screamed, coiling herself back up like a spring. Apparently, Nacho decided not to even bother with a disguise. Now the hard, describing him. You ever saw a chihuahua head on a seals body with burly, masculine human arms. Now I have and I wish the lord would take my sight right there and then. I don't think the memory of what he looked like a human can even back to me now. It's just when you see something like that what else can you remember about a person. He was on sort steampunk cart made from a glowing metal. Kind of like the fake legs Aegle had for the car pedals. Instead of wheels, it had legs that ended in spiked feet that traveled on the steep hills like they were regular roads.

"Well excuse me idiota. Why the engineer corp commander was put up in charge of a ranch escapes comprehension. It's like putting Hercules in a music competition while you have Orpheus enter an arm wrestling contest. Why isn't Ramon here?" Nacho barked, quite literally with his chihuahua head and all. He seemed to be only focused on Aegle and drove the bronze contraption right towards her.

"Ramon is practically married to his flock you know this." She snapped.

"The burro sold all his sheep couple of days ago. He became obsessed with pork for some reason, I think he's trying to become a butcher." Nacho said with an exhausted sigh. Ramon, Ramon, where did I know that name?

"Did this Ramon own a farm?" I yelled over their bickering. Nacho turned to face me with his dark beady eyes. After a second they turned large and apologetic with a touch of fear.

"By the lords of Olympus. The day has come, sorry boss but I just a little…" He waved his hands in little circles trailing off for the right words. "Flustered at the moment. Don't worry your beast should be back any moment now." He stared off into the distance with the look that told me that he probably should have added a maybe to that statement. Wait what did he call me?

"What's with the titles now?" I questioned. He looked at me with confusion and then to Aegle, then to me again. His confusion switch to a not this shit type of face. A twisted, course yet fluffy face only an angry dog can make.

"You didn't say what he was truly inheriting did you." Aegle slumped her shoulders in response to his accusation.

"I told him what I needed to tell him if we were to run away." His face went back to fear.

"Run from what? You said that he was to be brought here not that something was following you. What was following you? A rouge?" Me and Aegle both a chill went up to our spines, probably she's more than mine given that snake spines make up most of their bodies.

"No trust me I wish it was a rouge monster. We got a code blue trident." All the fear we had was not affecting Nacho who started shaking and shivering.

"How the hell did he find this place!? We have to move!" He grabbed my hand and pulled on to his contraption where I noticed that he didn't have feet. To be fair I did remember that Nacho was rolled around in a special wheelchair in the forged. It was the excuse he used to teach me the basics of forging and metal working. His "feet" were really flippers or fins that abnormally strong. Aegle also went on top of the machine coiling around me and Nacho. We rode the machine down the brush-covered hill in the steep valley.

"We did manage to get rid of him." Nacho looked at me with contempt.

"I don't believe you. Scratch that I can't believe you. You beating the most powerful Demigod alive while you don't even know your powers, how the hell is that possible." I put my fist on my hip cocking it.

"Is his winged horse the most powerful horse alive?" I said sarcastically, trying hard to channel the power of Jim Carry.

"No, wait….no. Unless he was on his half-brother Pegasus." Another image I need to remove from my head at some point. What is wrong with Poseidon.

"Well it was a Pegasus but yeah, I threw some poison at it and it bucks him off with his girlfriend," I said proudly as Nacho started to shiver even more.

"Venom," Aegle interjected, calming Nacho for a second. It didn't last much until it seemed Nacho seemed like he about to explode.

"Oh that's great, that's fan-fucking-tastic!" Oh, that's where I got that saying from. "That's what I needed to hear after the animals turned loose." The machine mumbled in tune with Nachos rambling, which means it was screeching. "Let's make it quick. There are some creatures I manage to keep pinned at the stables." Sure enough, through the woods and plants, there it was. A small wooden building at the bottom of the hills. There was a barely anything special about the cottage. It just old, decrepit and rotting.

"Who's triple G?" I asked as we got to the entrance of the stables.

"Greyon, was an asshat, is dead now. Moving on." He said moving his hand over his snout.

"He supplied animals and foods to the army. He died some time ago." Aegle explained with a pained expression. This Greyon sounds like a total ass. "But yes a man of no honor. Well, a three-bodied giant of no honor but still." Nacho led us into the stables. The smell of it was ungodly to bear. How could anyone keep animals in this condition astounds me. Trust me I been in proper stables on a good farm, this is far from even being decent. Actual also actually clean them. To keep it not completely smelling like shit but to also keep them healthy. This mess looks barely livable for flies and cockroaches.

"Hey, Nacho why haven't you cleaned this place. The animals look miserable." They were monsters. Horse with suspicious meat in their teeth, some breathing fire and even some Pegasus like Jackson. They were all miserable, just the unbridled sadness of several horses being in such a literal shithole. I heard the roar of a far-off creature rattle through the stables.

"Disregard that. It's not my job to clean Greyon messes, besides I'm burning this place to the ground when we are done here." One would usually take this as a joke until they stared into the abyss that was Nachos eyes. I also remembered a time when he said he would burn down his business as soon as he got bored. By the time I have left the forge, the place was nothing a pile of ashes with the official report being an electoral, gas explosion. Nacho doesn't do or say things lightly.

"Kind of a dick move their buddy."

"You have any idea how many workers I lost and nearly lost because of the smell and upkeep alone, not to mention that beast. I'm going to have a jig on the ashes when I get the chance. Also don't get off the walker there is a literal mile of shit below us." Me and Aegle shiver in disgust.

"Ugh, fine what do you got?" I squeamishly said as I take in the fumes.

"Pegasus, fire-breathing and man-eating horses, a Basilisk, an alligator of abnormal size. There is something I wanted to show you first thought." The roar echoed again. "Yeah that. Given your brother and sister are Selene and Helios, a horse would be an obvious answer. But I know you and you don't take the obvious and I have something you might have a kinship with." After minutes of build-up, we got to the end of the stables, a very darkly lit area with barely any other animals nearby. The space this beast occupied was several times larger than the rest of the stables. Enough room to roam and breathe than just standing around.

"Is This the beast that ate your workers," Aegle said while the tension began to conscript the air.

"What is it? It's not some giant rat or snake right?" Nacho took exception to that.

"Nothing so base this beast is fit to be a crest of a family as mighty as yours. The beast did eat my workers but it just shows the strength it possesses. A creature of eastern poise and western ferocity." The roar was closer now, piercing my ear like Nails on chalk. Closer, get closer. It calls to us. Now, this shit again. Don't question, just get near it. Show it what is needed. Mercy. "A dragon." I jumped off the machine into was I hoped was mud. My work uniform has gotten quite torn and dirty over the course of today. Wow, it's only been a day, it's just hit me. I went from wondering how I was going to treat a guest to how to tame a dragon in a single day. Just processing that….Done processing, now about the dragon.

"Aegle watch my back!" I shouted as I jump the stables in the enclosure. Yes, yes, closer, closer. The beast awakens, your power will feed it and it will help you grow. I have no freaking idea what it means by all that but it helped against Jackson. Maybe being a demigod gives the voice's purpose. Tater tots, maybe not. Maybe it just has some cases of lucidity. Now it's back to the usual tune. Annoying songs and food. Apple cider. There was a low growl as a mouth in the dark started to smolder with flame.

"Eliodoro don't be an idiot!" Aegle screamed as something in the dark scurried between me and the fence, a blur of silver and gold. It was weird, to say the least, you know how in some movies a dragon looks like a hulking lizard with pointed jagged scales and in others, it's basically a flying serpent. If God made this thing, he must have seen those designs and said: "it must be fabulous." It was a weird mixture of a macaw, snake and a dragon. It reminded me of something, a statue maybe, a creature from a folktale. Its head was serpent-like but a Mohawk of feathers was spiraling out of it. The body was like a scale bound horse, on all fours with a large tale. Then there were the wings, again macaw like wings with rainbow colors.

"What the hell kind of dragon is this!" The beast started to circle me after that comment. Its scales were gold and silver, glinting what light it can from the stables. The fire from its mouth the strangest part. Not that it looked weird or anything, it was coming out the mouth of a beast but it looked regular fire all the same. Not even a different color. The dragon starting to get closer and closer to his job opening ever larger. It looked about ready to pounce on me. I think I know why the flames didn't seem weird to me. They seemed comforting for some reason. Like a campfire.

"Nacho how could anyone tame-" Aegle reprimanded while the dragon tackled me to the ground. I looked straight into its amber eyes, Cold and reptile like. It eyed my shoulder with a certain fever and starting lurching like a snake. Bobbing its head before the strike and I'll bet the flames is it prepares the food. Like a spider wrapping the prey in the web. I started to do something a sane person should never do. Listen to the voices in my head and take them seriously. They said that my power will feed it but I don't even know what my power is. How will it help me grow?

"Watch out boss!" The dragon breathed fire downward, spray it directly on my face. I felt the heat of a furnace fill my pores and massive stinging pain. It was the most intense pain I've ever felt. I frantically grabbed the sides of the dragons front legs, but it hardly did anything to stop the pain. I felt it move the length of my arm into my palms, the searing rush of energy filling them with warmth and the beast backed away. I could barely move. The whatever I did took the wind right of me and left me feeling like I ran a mile with dress shoes on.

"Elio!" I heard Aegle scream as I started to drift into unconsciousness. Well, that's what I get for listening to voices. Being roasted alive by a dragon. What a way to go.


	5. Dream of the eclipsed

I should have passed out from pain, I should have burn marks on my face. At the very least nearly at the edge of death. Alas, God appears to want me to suffer for a bit longer as I did feel pain, boy did I feel great pain, I wasn't any closer to death. If you ever felt the heat of a campfire up close, put your entire face in the embers and that's how I felt. For some reason though, after a while, I actually felt a bit stronger. Like someone put jumper cables to my soul. The dragon looked at me with great confusion and disappointment that its meal wasn't medium done but still raw.

"Sorry to disappoint," I remarked as I picked myself up. The dragon stared at me with fascination, turning its head both ways to get a closer look at me. I felt my face, there were no burn marks on it, the only thing on me that burned were my work clothes. The standard employee uniform I still had on. Everything above the armpit was ash now, leaving my upper chest and shoulder exposed.

"You standing, boss!" I heard Nacho's and Aegle's combined query from behind the fence that was containing the dragon.

"Mostly! Still feeling a searing pain in nearly all my pores but standing. Takes a lot more than that to kill me off."

"So my hunch was right. You are immune to fire damage but guessing from your twitching, not the pain." Nacho said in an inquisitive manner. I flashed a glare at him. " Had me going for a second their boss." The dragon kept a confused look but maintained it to my eye level. Glinting and very aware with a natural glow of curiosity, no malice surprisingly. Maybe it found it interesting that I didn't die to the flames. It started to creep closer to me but kept a slow curious crawl, maybe it was hiding its true intention. Animals are harder to read than people.

"Elio getaway! Let's just get you a Pegasus!" Aegle screamed, getting the beast's attention.

"Hey, I was the one you were slow roasting!" I regained its stare and sat on my knees in the mud. "Keep away from it, it just wants me!" Aegle stepped away from the fence as Nacho quaked in his fins. I tried to remember a verse _The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters, you lead me; you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name. Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage._ Something to calm me and hopefully give me deliverance. Given the condition of the ranch and these stables, I'm willing to bet this Greyson didn't put much care into the health of the animals. Just enough to make sure they didn't die, So I thought that if I keep calm and tried to seem friendly, the macaw dragon wouldn't try to shred me to ribbons. My hands glowed brightly and the beast was focused on that rather than me. I felt a weak thought like my strength was oozing out of me, draining slowly from my hands.

Great! On my list of powers, there is a generic stat boost and "true sight", whatever the hell that means. The fire absorption can be handy, but one, it only works for fire so far, which means there are so many other things that can kill me. Second, again I still felt the pain! In fact, I'm still reeling from the slow roast. Lucky the dragon didn't make a quick move and got near the light in my hands. Let's see if it will bite them off. And...it snuggles and nibbles like a puppy, the teeth nearly broke the skin but that was it. There was no damage.

"Umm, down boy?" I said with an awkward smile, spreading my arms and the now enthusiastic dragon rubbed its long painted body against me. One of the spikes nearly got my eye. "I think I made a friend." Aegle and Nacho finally went over the fence into the pen with me.

"So, someone finally tamed the Quetzalcoatl. You really are something else Boss." The beast roared in his face in defiance.

"Hey, you already got Tobias and Yuri! Piss off!" Nacho yelled as I picked myself up. Aegle slithered to my side, keeping her distance from the Dragon.

"Quetzalcoatl? Isn't that an Aztec god?" I inquired as I was taking off my burned uniform.

"We found this thing out west in the desert flats. It looked like those statues in the Yucatan so we gave it that name, Greyson just called it the feathered dragon." Nacho said circling around the bright feathered wings.

"Juan," I said rubbing the wings of my new pet, Juan.

"Juan? Why that name of all things?" Nacho asked while getting behind me.

"Juan Ponce De Leon was the conquistador that conquered Puerto Rico. I am a native, this scaly beast tried to kill me. So Juan." Not the best logic but there aren't that many good Spanish names for dragons. Aegle cleared her throat and arched her back in an attempt to look commanding.

"Nacho get the chariot. Elio gets a new shirt, I'm going to make a phone call or two." Aegle said slithering out of the pen, giving me and the dragon one last look before leaving. I went to the car, hoping that my luggage survived the trampling of animals as Juan followed close behind, nudging my hands. They had stopped glowing and making heat, which was fine because it was freaking me the fuck out. But there was also something else. When I get the chance I'm going to learn this flashlight hand thing because it felt like I was slowly dying as I was using it. Like my soul was the battery for my one offensive power, that was draining me dry. I would be happy if it never resurfaced again. Juan seemed to be displeased by the loss of heat but still kept close to me, properly to see when it will happen again. Note to self, Juan is attracted to heat, also note, Get a heater as a present when he does something worthwhile.

Just as one would expect after half a dozen monsters rampage, the car was mostly scrapped metal, the sides were taken off like the crust of a sandwich. Luckily they missed the bag holding the last of my clothes and after a quick change into loose shorts and a white t-shirt, I walked down the hill with Juan in tow, towards the Ranch house where Aegle and Nacho were arguing.

"What do you mean it's too late!" Nacho barked.

"I mean it's near midnight and a lot of the people need to sleep! We are going straight to bed when we get back." Aegle said passive aggressively.

"And me without popcorn. Guessing the welcome was postponed." Aegle looked worried while Nacho was pacing in circles in apparent rage.

"Why is it that I'm the only one today trying to exhibit a sense of priority, it physically hurts to be the responsible one."

"Welcome to my Realm " Aegle rolled her eyes. "The others are coming, Ramon is close and Camacho is right with him." Ramon owned the farm that employed me. It was my first job and the closest thing to a second home for a little while. Stayed till I was 14, should be about four years ago's. I remember him as a nice, generous man with a sheep obsession which apparently has moved to pork. Regardless he was fair and mostly honest, he had me work for my stay and let me self-educate with his books. He would cook the food I picked from the farm, the ones I helped grow. When I was bit older, he taught me to cook my own dishes as well, I would be a diabetic fatass without his recipes. His farm was also the place I stayed the longest, four years.

Camacho ….he was a different animal compared to everyone else I have ever known. To say that he was intense would be giving him not enough credit. He taught me how to fight but I think it was because he was bored mostly. He hung around a flea market I was working at the time getting money by fighting, betting and demonstrating moves. He offered his help in defending wares I was selling from being stolen by cheeky little bastards and some gangsters. After a while, he straight up asked if he could teach me how to fight. I don't remember but I think he was bored of defending me so he wanted me to defend myself. He taught me a thing or two about some fighting techniques. Mostly defending, kicks and quick strikes. He taught me mainly capoeira, kick dancing he called it and some boxing to learn some decent punches he actually still taught me till a few months ago. Guess he was part of Dad's war. At least he manages to come back alive. I think he said I had the technique and speed down but not quite the strength, I was pulling my punches too much. I wonder how rusty I am right now. I should practice as soon as I can.

"Well, I'm going to bed." Aegle and Nacho turned to me.

"Alright you just used your power so it's natural you want to rest," Aegle said, grabbing my shoulder and leading me to the top floor of the ranch house. I was exhausted but it was more muscle stress then exhaustion. My muscles felt like they went through a marathon and want to quit but had too much adrenaline to truly stop. It's not the reason I was going get some rest, well not the only reason at least. I think it's the only thing that's going to calm me down. This whole day has been a joke followed by moronic punchline after moronic punch line. My jobs, my best friends, my entire damn life after leaving home was a lie. A lie facilitated by my deadbeat of a father, who avoided me since my 11th birthday. A father who saw fit to have a spy watch over me instead of his own damned self while declaring a nonsense war that probably puts a bounty on my head as well. A God that somehow found a way to die. It's got to be on the laundry list of dumb things that I learned about today. Along with the fact that one of the people responsible is a guy near my age with the powers of a sea god in a dumbass package. All that power in a idiot who shot arrows at a potential ally and thought that calmly explaining that I was a son of a God would make me their friend. I need a rest to quell my rage and anger before I hurt someone. I looked at Aegle who seemed to be strangely energized at the moment even though it was past midnight. I could tell with how the moon looked. Now, I can't stop thinking that since my sister was the moon goddess and she is somehow dead that the thing in the sky is basically either a tombstone or a corpse.

"Tell Nacho to get the dragon attached to the chariot. I want to learn how to use that thing, use it for whatever it's good for." For some reason, the words came out naturally and suddenly. "What was the deal Nacho talked about earlier?" Aegle grimaced as she stopped in the middle of the staircase. The ranch house wasn't anything special by any standard. It was old and abandoned in a state where it seemed to not be in use for a while, months or maybe a year. The strange thing most people don't tell you about living in temperate or just coastline areas is that it means most places must be maintained much more heavily since they get damaged by the weather more often.

"Once upon a time our general, your father gave the command to train you in basic survival. My best guess was to make sure you don't turn out a failure and bring shame to him. When he started to get rid of some of us for older, monstrous and more compliant generals we took it as a sign. A sign that the Titans would treat us like the gods had beforehand, so a bunch of us got together as our own community far from the both of them." She opened the door to the shabby room with a single window. She opened the window to a city down south on the side of a mountain. "We have monsters of all walks of life. Old workers of the gods who were abused. Some former troops of the titans who defected in the early days before they purged the ranks of supposed traitors. Even some demigods who don't want to serve the gods or have fought them in the war. A place for the lost and weary."

"What does it have to do with me?" She slithered near the foot of the bed and patted for me to sit.

"To be frank it's all very new to all involved. We all have certain hang-ups about it and we're making it work for the most part but we like your help."

"How? What can I add that a bunch of Greek monsters and veteran soldiers couldn't?" She put a hand on my shoulder with a look of guilt. "Your father actually wanted you to be there at the Battle for Manhattan." I turned to her with anger building within me.

"Why would I-" Aegle put her hand in front of my face.

"Our thoughts exactly. We knew you would not agree to join a war that wasn't your own. It's one of the reasons we want you to help lead our little community. Your hands are clean, a fresh perspective in a sea of jaded eyes and minds." My ears perked up.

"As your leader?" Her eyes went wide for a moment before breaking into laughter.

"No, we are not so desperate that we need a barely legal teen to lead us. Maybe when you're older but our deal was that we advance your training to its next level now that camp half-blood is involved in all this. Learn to lead gradually by working with the rest of us in a council, by observing us and making sure we rule fairly, learning from interaction. That's all hypotheticals at the moment anyway though so." She took my bag and tossed it into a corner of the room slithered to the door. "Sleep on it. I'll inform Camacho and Ramon about everything. We leave when dawn approaches." She closed the door behind her with a quick click. "Buenas Noches! She shouted behind the door.

"Buenas Noches!" I took off most of my clothes and got under the sheets. I won't paint a picture of what the bed or the room was like. Second verse same as the first, the room was damaged by lack of care and the fact it was wood on a humid island. At Least the voice hasn't popped up again, hooray for partial sanity. I thought about the offer Aegle gave me. It seems actually nice, all considering. I really, really rather not be someone's puppet so this "Camp half-blood" is out of the question and if I'm going to be a demigod I rather do something with it. My life was going barely anywhere before this but it was my life and built by my choices. At least mostly by my choices or is it going to be revealed most of them have been planned out and executed by a space caterpillar in my brain. Makes about as much sense as what else has happened this month. I kid, kid. In all honestly thought no matter what I want it's probably what I should do. Despite how I may seem, responsibility is important to me. People should be held accountable for things they should and should not be doing. If this is what remains of what my father unleashed then it's my responsibility to clean it up and turn into something respectable.

That got my head spinning, maybe a merchant village making money and funneling that in social works. Maybe a training camp to rival that of the gods, that is more straightforward and that does not do the gods errands. Maybe just a town, a place people can come and relax and be at peace, a neutral zone that does a bit of everything to stay afloat. That assumes though that they will let me do all that but the future is coming and not in front of me, so I might as well sleep. If I become the leader of those people Aegle wants me to meet, my first order should be that they must keep me awake because I'm quickly hating the very concept of dreams.

I was hanging from a pit, a very dark and cold one in the ground that seems to go on forever. The only thing keeping me from falling was a tree branch. The dark of the pit seems to whisper in my ears in a strange language.

"Can you escape their curse?" The voice felt like bile pouring down my ear with a cold I never experienced before. It chilled me to the bones. The grim reapers hands were on my neck. "Will you fall like the others? Will he claim you like the rest? Can you escape fate, boy!?" The voice took a more masculine tone, a commanding and freighting tone that scrapped memories from my mind.

"Woah! That's a rather deep pit. You got some issues." A voice, a more joking and annoying one that I recognized from earlier today. A shadow stained hand reaches down to pick me up. It extended far into the pit, continuing off from an unseen body. The length of it looking like a piece of the night sky was ripped off with the stars plucked off.

"What the hell are you doing here!" I started to struggle while holding onto the branch.

"Keeping my only companion for conversation alive and sane. Well for the most part. Now, are you going to keep staring at me or save yourself from damnation? That's all that pit leads to." The hand was stern solid with a texture similar to obsidian. I guess I have no choice. The hand kept to the side of the branch, I swing with all my might with the branch, the sound of it breaking became louder and louder with each swing. Before the inevitable snap, I let go of it and frantically grabbed the shadow hand. It felt weird. A bit of stating the obvious but it's hard to describe something that was there and yet not. Like I was hanging on to the hand of a sandstorm, feeling the pellets of something solid but with space in between it. "Goodman. Let's have a chat."

"Pray tell what?" Eclipso was bad news. Not to stereotype spirits or magical beings but when a being is called Eclipso and is made of literal darkness with an attitude you expect from the devil with his deal-making. You have a guy you not only keep your eye on but should be the picture in the dictionary for the word untrustworthy. "What do you want?" The hand extended further and wrapped itself around me like a harness. A bit undignified but preferable to … whatever that pit is.

"To entertain me and keep you alive. You have been doing a good job of avoiding Thanatos this day." I was hoisted from the pit and dragged in front of the source of the voice. Instead of a face in the sky, he had a more human appearance. At least more human-like that of a cloud. A basic human shape with the appearance of barely held together gas, pitch black smog that smelled of tar.

"Who?" I said picking myself up.

"The god of death, or at least the arbiter of it. The most famous story of him was when a mortal king managed to chain him up for days before the gods found out. It really shows their intelligence." That really does not paint a flattering picture of the Olympians if they didn't notice that death disappeared for a while. "Really though, your uncle is not that smart either. He thinks selling you out to Olympus can give him everything he lost." My jaw dropped.

"What!" I start pacing in circles in apparent confusion. "How, why, who!"

"The how is by giving you and someone else to that camp. The why is because that place lost some people from your families little spat. The Who, well... you did meet the Jackson boy right. There's more but I rather he tells it, he's coming to where you are." My rage was simmering on the surface, ignited under the skin, an inferno inside my chest.

"How did he?" I thought about it for a moment. Two people, I haven't encountered again from the hotel. The goat man Grover, the spoiled redhead.

"Good guess, but narrow it down."

"How can you?"

"Read your mind. It's simple really, I'm connected to you by dreams. The more I go inside your mind, the more I can roam inside." He snapped his finger and a recliner and wine poured into his other hand. "I'm trapped here, in the bleed. The "usually" red void of energy that separates the dimensions." He swirled the wine in his hand and the space around us imitated the motion. "I can manipulate it in any way I desire." He raised his hand and the swirling mess became solid again. It crystallized into a fortress covered in snowflakes patterns. "But you know the problem with it all. No matter how much I can use it to make a fully functional city or destroy it in more spectacular ways there is no one else. The one thing I can't make is sentience. So that's why am I contacting and helping you. It's just freaking fun."

"Fun? Fun!" This condescending, prideful, arrogant-

"Asshole. Oh, how you wound me. Besides, my boy, those are all synonyms. If your going to insult me at least be creative about it. I will give this bit of information, the goatman was the one who found you. Probably is telling the others where you are right now. He will come, they will force you to go with them and you will do it." He said munching on recently conjured toast made of clouds.

"Why would I ever-"

"There is a consistent problem with the heroic types." He stepped out of his chair and the toast he was munching on faded out of existence. "I can hurt you infinitely, till the stars go out and turn to dust, but you won't break. Target someone else however and you start bending over backward pleading to be gentle. He knows your weakness and will exploit it." I wanted to say that's not what would happen if it came down to it. I would never agree to any deal but- "You know what I'm saying is true and that all he has to do is threaten the village and your friends. Maybe he'll threaten the whole island then there would be no choice." I let my arms drop, limping as I give into the reasoning.

"When?"

"Depending on when I let time move again, I'd say about five minutes or a few days. Time is a moldable factor here." He stood at the of the pit I was hanging off of and the terrain around us turned to pure marble. Columns around us in a circle with a dome made of stained glass.

"I'm guessing you want something too?" His head turned a hundred degrees with the Cheshire grin returning with bread crumbs floating in the light of his mouth.

"Like I said, you are fun to be around. I want you to live so I can have some company. So I got to thinking, I can slow time here to make a full night sleep last a week. I can make you Achilles' level of proficiency in a manner of nights, or at least in a manner of a month. All of this so you can live and I have someone to talk to." His smile was distorting and mesmerizing to watch. It never moved as he talked, still and cold like stone. It was hard to say whether he was lying or not but it felt like he sincerely wanted my company, like someone who was alone for such a long time that a conversation with the mailman was the most enlightening moment of his life.

"I'll give you an answer soon." He rolled his eyes and made a "go-on" gesture.

"You can still come to me in my dreams till I make a decision." He snapped his fingers and an orb appeared in his palm.

"Fine! I'll keep observing from my realm of unending possibilities but swear that you will make a decision soon, swear the river Styx." A barrage of images was swirling in the orb. It was all the events of today in a symphony of confusion. The moment I was told I was a demigod by Jackson's group. The campfire where Aegle explained the gods to me. The memories of me with Ramon, Nacho, and Camacho. Juan the dragon outside with the rest of my mentors facing a tornado of water. Wait for what!

"It appears your uncle has made the first move. Now what is yours? " he said looking directly at the orb. His smile disappeared completely as his mouth collapsed into itself like a black hole. I have been jerked around all day with no break. My whole life shattered in an instant, and now my uncle might take away everything that's left. In the form of a hurricane no less.

"Fine, You win. You have your damn deal." He did the go-on sign again. I swallowed. "On the river Styx." I Didn't understand completely what it meant but he was pushing for it. It must be quite the bounding oath.

"As a matter of trust, on my oath to the river Styx, I promise never to try to take over your body. To make sure you're alive, powerful and give you a way out." The first two just repeated from earlier but a way out. Out of what?

"The way out of your fate. Do you know what the fate of a demigod is? How they have only lives of servitude, suffering, and sublimation? How they become nothing more than the pawns of divine pissing matches of vengeful deities? And that is without even mentioning the last curse that is thrust upon them." Three pedestals appeared with Greek pottery on top of them, the classic blood red-orange with pictures painted on them. The first pot had a naked man with a helmet and a spear through the chest, the second one had two naked men spearing a cyclops in the eye, and the final naked man... what was the greek obsession with male nudity? Not that I'm complaining. Like I was saying, was a man with a lion pelt over his shoulders, dying in a fire, three women at his feet. Two were dead with breaks in their necks while the third was weeping with a bottle in her hand.

"Okay, what curse. I already heard the monster thing from Aegle." His smirk grew larger from the remark.

"Oh, it does involve that but this is the curse of all demigods. No matter what you slay, save or delay, you will always face the final threat. The monster you were not destined to kill that gave the final blow, the goddess you scorn getting the last laugh, the damnation you brought by your own hand. That is the curse of demigods. To be a bright candle that is snuffed out too soon." The explanation rattled in my ears within an echo of whispers. What he is essentially saying is that I would most likely die by my own hand or by the whims of the gods and fate. Somehow in a few sentences, he decimated my will into nothing but dust on the chilled wind. I was barely even thinking anymore. Most of my actions have been responses to others plans and motives, my choices ended at the point that I threw silverware at Percy Jackson.

"So what? I'm trapped by a doomed destiny?" The area around us shifted once more. This time we were in the center of an open-air greek temple on top of a large hill that overlooked an island.

"I can free you if you free me from this prison." He pointed to the landscape around us and it was an empty place. There were was building and plants but it was silent and still. No bugs, no wind, not even a cloud in the sky. A never-ending cold blue in the sky, reflecting an un-moving sea from below. The buildings that were there are white sterile marble with only the brown of the dirt around them to be a contrast. It was still, bland, nothing for miles. Like everything had died and the buildings were the only sign of civilization. If I was stuck in a place like this, a perfect replica that had no sign of life, I would go insane. Such an unchanging place of stillness is evil, antithetical to nature itself. It would eat away at anyone's mind, to be stuck in an endless, quiet and chilling place.

"What are your terms?" The smile on Eclipso went ear to ear if he had ears.


	6. rebirth at dawn

I got up from the bed and saw a rather expected sight at the first light of dawn. A hurricane right next to the ranch house. Oh good, he hasn't destroyed this place yet. The hurricane was unnatural for many reasons, it did not move towards the ranch house. It just stood close enough to feel the winds from it but not to destroy it. It also seemed to glow, at least to me, a bright blue with a conch shell above it. I heard rampant screaming from below me, the familiar yells of my friends and co-workers in a panic. Guess the word is caregivers now. With all that's been revealed to me, it's going to be hard to face them. Although there are other matters to deal with. Is it truly-

 _Sadly yes, it is Oceanus._ For a second Eclipso voice fills my ear. It was part of the deal that he would now have a permanent link to my head.

Able to read my thoughts clearly enough?

 _Yes and I believe that Your uncle is having a bit of fun on you and the mon-_

"They are my friends, not monsters" I yelled out loud.

 _Sheesh, grow a sense of humor. Also just regular sense, that's their literal classification in the pantheon. Besides, why? can't they be both? Anyway, you know what to do with dear Oceanus up there._ I steady my body and breathing. Make sure no part of my body was shaking despite the sight in front of me. I force the windows open and almost immediately the water floating in the air because of the hurricane drench me and the clothes I was sleeping in. Going to make him pay for that later.

 _All in good time my new friend._

Your not my friend, you're my-

 _Yes, yes crutch. I'm your crutch. Must you make it obvious?_

Anyway back to my previous action. I stood in the window letting the rain and wind hit me as the sound of footsteps went on in the hallway.

"Hey kid you awake or did the blowhard of the seven seas knock the wind of your sails." Going to put money on that being Ramon. He can never get out of that type of speech but now I'm wondering if that's for magical reasons now. His footsteps were heavier than I remembered, maybe he just gained weight or my hearing is getting better.

 _Could be both._

Do you want to fight him?

 _If it's all the same no. This is all you, a bit of a dick measuring bravado but one that can earn you some style points at that camp. Facing the immense titan on your own while he is hiding from the Olympians wrath will put some interests on your own terms. If there is any interest you need is interests that you made and you control. Now start with a lion's roar, not a goat bleating._

"Oceanus!" I screamed nearly rupturing my voice trying to speak over the wind funnel.

 _That's it make him sure that you're not afraid, make him know you don't shake with fear. That no matter what he does you won't concede easily. At Least when it comes to principle._

Can you save the backseat driving for when we are alone or I stumble my words?

 _Of course but when we do it will be quite substantial, we have a lot of details to clarify._ My mind felt empty for a second, the quiet echoing like the one outside as the wind funnel died down. The storm ending early by some miraculous will.

"Look that was just to keep the mon-" I cut him off with a raised hand.

"My friends and allies. By the by shut your goddamn mouth! You don't get to talk to them, you talk to and me only. Same deal for your friends or you gotta fight on your hands. I don't care how powerful you are some part of you must feel pain." For a second Oceanus look confused but regained composure when a brief bit of silence finally went between us.

"The same thing from you and we might, might! Play ball." He unsheathed a golden Trident from the water around him. "People have backstabbed me before, both mortal and gods and they all regretted it." Two shadows came out the forest behind Him. A blond girl and the Jamaican goat man. Jackson in front of both of them with a golden blade.

"I know when I'm beaten. I wanted to see if we're the type of bastard that would sell me out. I wanted to see it with my own face." They looked confused but relieved, obviously prepared for a fight. The Percy and his friends seemed the most relieved out of all of them. I don't blame them, they looked like they got no rest to sense our fight and it properly took some convincing to get my dick bag of an uncle to show up in of which, he had the look of sustained rage. My words properly cut a bit and got under his divine Ego. Nonetheless, he didn't seem to budge.

"Fine." He said loud but sternly. "You have three hours before you give yourself up to _them_." He gestures to my future captors as they yawned in either boredom or fatigue. "But we get to step inside the building." The demand didn't shake me, it made sense. Can very well trust me to stay inside without using them to escape. He turned towards the blond and he snaps his fingers. Jackson looked back at her with worry

"Annabeth, you got the drachma right? We didn't lose in the fall?" She looked confused but acquiesced to his suggestion.

"Not that I'm complaining but why so much time?" I may have to yell that bit for him to hear but my tone was genuine. Why the three-hour block?

"It's more for their benefit than anything else." He brushed it off gesturing to Percy group, who while still doing what they need to do where doing it a slow pace. The exhaustion nearly consuming them with every motion. "Also if you going to make demands of me boy you might as well look the part. Now please have your _friends_ call off their weapons." The sound of wood being pulverized was now blaring as I heard it repeated three times. Three holes I'm guessing.

"For Hyperion!"A unified battle cry filled the air. I saw the hulking form of 7ft farmer charging with a golden club right at Oceanus group. Behind him, Aegle, darting in slithering pattern with a crossbow and jar of poison on her belt. Nacho was marching out like a soldier with what looked like...is that a machine gun! Sure enough like a bootleg, dogfish Rambo shooting randomly in the air.

Could use your help right now.

 _In what way?_

Can you make my voice louder or intimidating?

 _Oh, that's pure child's play. A minor warlock can conjure your needs. I guess i'll use some of my allotted time to make this farce stop._ Part of my deal with was that he got to use my body for one hour per day but I get to decide when. _Of course, examples must be made._

Wait for what! My body felt tenser and more powerful, like adrenaline in its purest form was injected into my veins. My vision began to tunnel and collapse into a shape similar to a kaleidoscope, it was like I was watching my own body from a screen. A layer of cognitive dissonance as a shadow dance on the edges. Eclipso used my legs at a tilted angle and parkoured his way down. Jumping from the windows edge to the gutter and then the ground making a crater with the impact.

I thought you merging with me would only give me magic? Why do I suddenly have super strength?

 _Magic comes in so many flavors. It can a sherbert of a thousand flavors, a tasty combination or a singular hit of greatness._

And now you made me hungry.

The ground had burned edges near the crater, the plants started to turn yellow and dry. Why is that?

 _Questions come later._ Eclipso turned our head around to meet the members of my party. _Party? Oh, like a video game party. That makes so much sense. A snake woman archer. A telkhine crafter and no less than two heavy hitters. Good for you, Cannibal giants are great frontline combatants and Cyclops, forget about it, best meat shields in mystical history._

Please don't refer to them as combatants or meatshields.

 _And deny their purpose, never! Don't worry your worry that handsome face of ours, you even need words to make them back off._ Eclipso made are hands form fists and a dark flame embraced our arms. Behind us, where Aegle and the others were charging, he lobbed a ball of fire. It forced to stop immediately, leaving a scent of rot behind. While Oceanus group held their weapons but stayed in their position. Eclipso raised the hand he didn't use with a bigger ball.

No, you idiot! You get us killed on the spot.

 _Trust me if the pantheon wanted you dead they would have sent at least two sea monster and a harpy at this place. Maybe furies if they knew your potential._

Can you not talk in cryptic bullshit. He ignores me and threw the ball which spread on impact making a circle of flame around the opposing group.

 _Now you may talk mister Vivas._

Oh, thank you, just when you made things worse _._ Both groups look at me for a Moment as the dark flame disappeared. My group looking with awe as the dawn erupted behind me from their perspective. From the other side with Percy's group, it was more like a "new challenger has appeared" scene and with their expressions, they were waiting for me to give them an excuse to fight. A reason to force me with without negotiating.

 _If it's all the same, at least they have a healthy amount of fear of you now. Especially that Jackson boy._ He wasn't wrong Percy during my leap went in front of both the blonde and goat man. A face attached to a shaking boy that read "to get to them, you to go through me."

If it's all the same to you, please shut it. Eclipso went silent for only a few seconds before snickering when my I tried to regain control of the situation. At least nearly all of them looked attentively at me and not glassed over given the time. Aside from Percy and Annabeth who looked ready to drop.

"What are you doing boss. You're in the way!" Complained Camacho, the most psychotic of the misfits under me. He was very battle ready, looking alert enough for a whole commando unit and attention dead set on Oceanus. Ramon looked very concerned but seemed to keep steady, keep eye contact with me. He seemed to understand immediately what I wanted.

"I know we're surrendering," I stated frankly turning towards my uncle.

"Fine sense of self-control your showing." Oceanus gave a slow clap. "The boy sees the obvious. Choosing to fight with me, is picking a fight with a hurricane." The winds start to pick again as the light of dawn becomes blinding.

"You said I had hours!" I held my ground within the funnel of wind brushing against me. "Or are all your deals untrustworthy." He stared at me and sighed.

"Two hours and they start now." He grimaced as Percy just stared with a tired, confused look in his eye. His companions were not that better off as they just start to buckle under fatigue. I looked towards mine with the best, the general is giving a speech stance, my hands on my hips with determination posture. Take a breath and think of the best words quickly.

"My uncle is a prick but he is a smart prick, the worst kind that exists. It physically hurts me to say this...but there is no other way. Unless I do something Jurakan lesser cousin is going to rip us a new asshole with no chance of mercy." Aegle went up to me first and put a hand up to my forehand.

"He doesn't have a fever?" She said cautiously. Nacho came up to me next bring out a stethoscope and thermometer.

"Nonsense it has to be an illness, maybe a spell, call the damned Empusa's! He can't be sane right now." Nacho obnoxiously cried as he tried to poke and prod me, kinda taking away from the serious pose I was trying to make and making Percy giggle along with Annabeth. Grover took a few steps back as Ramon went past both Aegle and Nacho. He got very close to me and examined my eyes and then pulled out my tongue. He flashed a sorrowful look before putting a brave face.

"It's been a while nino." He said nostalgically. Making my attempt to be serious a bit more ill-conceived as he draws a blush from me. Haven't heard that for years. I heard a barely restrained laugh in a new york accent and turned to see Percy Jackson holding his side. I did not want to see him dead before but now he is making me reconsider that thought.

"What you looking at punto!" Yelled the walking bicep that was Camacho. "It's fucking beautiful, you gringo piece of shit. Stop laughing or I rip off your goddamned Blanco neck and take a merde down your fucking throat." Quite the eloquent speaker isn't he. He nearly made an attacking advance towards Jackson but Ramon put a hand in front of his chest and shook his head. "Let me do this." He said through gritted teeth. Ramon remained silent and tilted his head towards Oceanus. He kept a "don't be an idiot glare" trained on Comacho. Camacho relented and went inside. "Whatever." I motioned my arms to towards the house and my group followed. When we got inside the ranch house they breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Please say that was an act and we are sneaking out the back." I dashed Ramon suggestion and the collective hope of the rest when I opened the door and let Oceanus group in. I turned to him and put on a courtly smile.

"Well have breakfast ready in short order." My smile may be clearly fake but it seemed to at least make things simmer down from the fiery distraction.

 _My, my, you are good at this. Still, need a bit more confidence to sell it. Definitely some humor._ Again Eclipso shove it. Oceanus seemed to smile at this while Percy and his friends just exchanged confused glares. Ramon shared this with Aegle but both seemed to recover quickly and bow kept at an angle to make seem like they were bowing to me.

"If you excuse us we will get started with some sausages and then some pork omelets," I said urging Aegle and Ramon to come with me to the kitchen by resting my arms on their waist like a group pose. Given one is 7ft tall and the other mostly tail below the chest is a bit _disorganized,_ to say the least. We got to the kitchen where Ramon forced my arm off and crossed his looking at the stove.

"Aegle said you were coming with us." He said plainly. I tried to grab his shoulder but he moved slightly before I could and I stopped. He started lifting up a bag of groceries. "I grabbed some food before you woke up. Some pork from my fattest piggy and fresh vegetables. Didn't have any chicken's so these are store bought eggs." He said barely looking at the food. He started cutting them with his special knife. Now that I'm aware of the magical things around me, it always looked weird but now I understand why. It was made of the same glowing medal Jackson sword had. The hilt had three cyclops with hammer's, using it on a single piece of lighting.

"There was no way out of this." He responded by sticking the knife into the cutting board.

"There is always a way!" He proclaimed inches from my face. Ramon was from a bad time in my life. I left home after ...she died. I would be dead if Aegle didn't bring me to Ramon. I would be destroyed in mind and soul if it wasn't for him. He led to the church's embrace, he led me to deal with my schizophrenia. Without him, I would rely on Aegle for everything. He always told me those words, _There is always a way._ For some, that may be stupid or cheesy but those words kept me going, as long as I kept thinking about those words the truer they felt. My stomach was in knots, tight, burning and torn ridden knots.

"Let's get breakfast together." She said looking down at some eggs she was beating. The cooking and table setting didn't take long, half an hour at most. We were mostly silent with the only words between us being about the meal we were making. We worked in sync, for the most part, working through it all mechanically. I hold the temptation to spit on Oceanus plate. Aegle pulls me aside for a quick moment as I put the last sausage on the last plate.

"You free to tell us anything. You know this right?" Her state held great concern and looked close to watering.

 _Strange how they didn't seem to give the same courtesy to you? You think the ones that care for you wouldn't hide the important things from you? It's alright Elio, you shall have the home you desire once all that is required is before us._

"I know," I said more coldly than I wanted to and set the table Oceanus and Jackson were eating on. Jackson kept away from him and his friends followed his example as mine simply grabbed another table and spread what was left among us. I took the seat right next to Camacho. He was very focused his food, a few slices of sausage, pieces of eggs and pork. He barely acknowledged me while from the other end of the circular table Nacho could nothing but that. He had a permanent look of fearin his eye.

 _Its to be expected when one eats inches from their enemy._ I ignored Eclipso and proceed to eat my meager bits of breakfast while serving Jackson's table. It may sound weird but greek's apparently put a lot of stock in the rules of hospitality. _Indeed, the fear one day a god may come to your house in the form of a beggar asking for some shelter made the prospect of hospitality very attractive. So play nice and try not to piss of the living natural disaster and his band of idiots._

It felt a bit weird but not the less needed. Jackson and his group gave a glance or two my direction as I filled their glasses.

"You know it didn't need to be this way." Annabeth the blonde said looking right at me, actually making eye contact.

"While ain't that convenient for your conscious. If you really cared about my choice in all this, you would take my pot to the face retreat as my final answer." I rebutted filling her glass with a smoothie. If I'm not mistaken Aegle recipe and that may mean she spat into it for kicks. All of my group avoid it like the plague. I saw Camacho lean on a door from and ushering me to the back of the ranch. I whisper in Aegle's ear. "Please serve our guest while I'm outside." She grimaced but complied taking the pitcher from smoothie from my hands.

The back of the ranch house was a simple open Padillo to the forest, a whole acre of palm trees going on until the shine of morning sun hit the waves of the ocean.

"What up man?" I was genuinely surprised that Camacho was here. Last I heard he left the island for some MMA thing or pissing off the wrong people. He had a talent of ether fighting off or pissing off the right people. It why I trust his advice on fighting. Then again he was supposed to be a watchdog to keep me safe so the fact he was a good fight instructor was no accident.

 _That is good it means we don't have to work from scratch. You should be thankful to know such a great warrior._

I shouldn't be.

 _Why the hell not. You have followers who go with you into battle. A beast who's rage was tempered only by you and now a being who has knowledge that can make not only renewed but escape fate itself._ _What do you mean you shouldn't be grateful?_

Everything that has happened in the last twenty fours has fundamentally ruined me.

 _How? Aren't you glad your not average. Not another sheepish human scourging at the dirt but instead a child of divine origin._

I hate this it, all of this. I liked it better when my life was a series of unhappy accidents that I rose to meet and overcome but now…. it's meaningless. The only thing was the accident that started the sequence my mother's death but everything after that was railroading. Railroading is a term I heard used a lot in the game section of the flea market I worked at, it meant that the game was being forced into a single direction. No change, no deviation, just a single line with no hope of making go in a new direction. The people I thought I earned respect from, worked for my father, a divine being of light. A god who apparently declared war and has left me with his pieces. A leg swept me and I landed on my ass first onto the dirt.

"Any reason for being distracted?" Camacho commented from his crouching stance, the reason for my fall being very obvious as I saw his clearly extended leg. He was moving into another stance ready to fight. I assume my own after he tried to sweep me again.

"I'm not in the mood right now."

"Sure your not." He remarked as he lay into me with a flurry of left and right hooks. Okay, he is moving into a boxing assault. I held my arms up, close together like a fleshy shield. When the fourth right punch came in I broke the guard I held up to backhand strike the inside of his elbow he was punching with. It was simply the matter of slugging him in the face after that. Sadly it only lasted for a few seconds until he did a similar backhand strike with both arms and left me wide open. Using the opportunity he sucker punched me in the stomach and chin. "Not only is your form awful but your keeping something locked inside, aren't you."

"If I am?" He tried the same wide leg kick but I manage to jump over it this time. Sadly he then got a shot in between my legs at the end of the jump.

"If you are then I might have to knock the secrecy out of you before you explode with guilt." I stagger to my feet after the affront to my family jewels and hold besieged my stomach.

"Does that go for you too?" He actually paused for a moment and used the opportunity to strike. I ended up kicking him with both of my feet by doing a cartwheel like a move. I know it sounds weird but it manages to stagger him and I continue the beating with singular side kicks in quick succession.

" I wasn't a general if that's what you were thinking. It's not even true for the other, most of the chain of command died quickly in the battle for Manhattan. The titles are mostly for bragging rights if anything else." He kept his guard as talk. I nearly started kicking to the syllables of his words. I always worked best with rhythms.

"So what are you exactly then?" He gave a grimace to my remark while stopping my rhythmic kicking with an arm block.

He stopped for a few seconds and composed himself. "Don't judge but I'm a Cannibal giant, a Laistrygonian." He kept to his stance and moved to high more high-speed kicking maneuver.

"Really?" The cannibal part of that title caught my eye, not just for the lack of originality. Does that mean he eats his own people or other humanoid creatures? If it's the last one it's not really cannibalism then it is a form of predator for humans. The giant was actually the easier part to buy. A man with an 8ft build of muscle is a giant, the cannibal thing though...that grabbed me. I ducked and spun on a pivot, propelled by a kick that caught him off guard. "Who's getting sloppy now?" I allow myself to feel smug as the large man fumbled on his back. He swift kicked my legs and I stumble onto the ground.

"I'll be stupid and say both of us." He heaved out. "Not as young as I want to be these days." He clutched his chest over his heart and I quickly got to my feet to his side.

"Monsters can get heart attacks?" He picked out a small medicine case from a pant pocket and swallowed two pills from it.

"Let's just say that there are consequences for going against your nature." I stood right next to him with my hand outstretched to help him up but he brushed it off.

"Does that mean you stopped or still eat people, I think I read somewhere that eating people is supposed to give several diseases." He looked at me with dull surprise with the question.

"Straight to it then." He adjusted himself to face the morning sun. I joined him, keeping an arm's length away. "Yes and no is the short of it. I have not personality ate a human or monster in some time. Unless you count boars. The other thing is that I still eat meat just not thinking meat, well thinking like you and me meat." He started out into the hills being illuminated by the sun with keen precision. His gaze washed over it with the accuracy of a predator and intellect of a soldier. Maybe he was seeing if anyone else was going to ambush us.

"Soooo, how do you see my decision?" I blurted out blocking the light with hand.

"Sounds like you want assurance and not an opinion right now." He wasn't entirely wrong.

 _Are you second guessing?_

Vivas men always fulfill their words.

 _Ha, way to show a strong face but I wonder how long it can last before it crumbles. Just remember no one can know of me._

As I said Vivas always keep their words.

"You still there?" Camacho asked as I slipped back into the conversation.

" just answer my question."

" well, I think you lost your damn mind." He said frankly with a smirk. Well, I was expected that answer at least. I'm predicting people's reactions as I use too, the world makes sense again. " I also think that you have a secret you're not sharing. Not with me certainly, not Nacho maybe even Aegle." God damn it.

 _I think you mean god's damn it._

Not now.

"And if I am?" I said casually trying to hide my shame. I didn't like the thought of lying to the people I trust but I made a deal and … maybe they deserve the same treatment for what they were doing to me for years.

" I think I would say that while you are crafty and that you are also playing with fire beyond your measure. Trying to trick gods, That sort of thing does not end well for anyone, the gods, mortals or the world at large." He said plainly staring into the morning sun. "They will find out you know." My eyebrow was half-cocked. " who your fathers are? You may smell the same as them, but the similarities end there. They have this aura about them, an aura of civilization, of order. You? You give the one of unfeathered freedom daring to challenge." I shrink into the grass from his remarks. It was less about being different from those other kids, sound like asshats, to be honest, or at least the high horse type but I'm so different from them what degree of separation does that put me on with regular people.

"I know what I'm doing." I'll admit that I was somewhat defensive in my response.

"For your own sake, I hope your right. Not only for my state of mind." I couldn't tell if he meant my own or the others with that remark. He got up from the hill and opened his hand for me. I got up from the hill of my own volition. He actually smirked in response. "At Least you've learned not to rely too much on others." I knew the smirk on his face. He was going to flip me as soon as he had a grip.

 _Yes, you are so self-sufficient._

Really Eclipso, sarcasm is not above you.

 _Trust me that Jackson boy reeks of it almost as much as you do. The only difference you at least pretend to respect others authority._

Noted. Ignored entirely but noted.

"Sure we will go with that. Let head back, I'm pretty sure Aegle properly spat at their breakfast and their slowly at the edge of figure it out." Camacho stifled a laugh.

"Trust me they haven't yet and she did. Except for the girl, they ain't exactly Daedalus levels of intellect or cunning...mostly if they sense malice beware their vengeance. His stifled laughter turned to stone at the last bit. Going to guess that he witness or heard some example of what they can do if he's taking them this seriously.

We went back to the ranch house where Jackson and his merry band were mercilessly chomping on french toast, eggs and copious amount of sausages. Except for the goat man, who was munching on a cabbage. Yep, just a whole cabbage with his bare teeth.

"Classy isn't he," I whispered to Camacho. He gives a modest shrug.

"We leave soon, make your peace while you can," Oceanus said grimly. What remained of the happy hotel owner is gone. Nothing but a weathered, leather-bound face of a man who has stood on vigil on the beaches shore for decades, maybe centuries in his case. He wasn't even in a different outfit from yesterday but he did seem to radiate a different aura. An old and powerful one. I won't lie I felt intimidated by it, like the feel of a storm coming in.

 _Don't lose your nerve now_

"Give me a minute, _uncle._ " I poured as much disdain I could in my remark while trying to be polite. Well, the politeness of pissed off futbol players but still. I ushered everyone but Oceanus group onto the front door and made sure no one followed us or was coming to listen in.

"I made a deal." Most gave a look of apprehension to my remark while Camacho kept stern with a smirk that could cut wood. Ramon was the first speak up.

"Who?" He said coldly.

"No Olympian, I can say that much but not much else." He shook his head. Aegle crept forward to my side and put an arm on my shoulder. She held on tightly before slapping me dead in the middle of my face.

"And you believe this to be a good idea?" Aegle asked as the rest looked back at the patch of grass that I lit on fire. The patch was scourged to the dirt with black steam coming off it. Anything that was there before has been replaced with ash.

"The first thing you do when you get the chance is to get a drachma and a water hose. It may sound strange but do that and say our name while flipping the coin into the stream." Nacho explained sincerely. I was naturally staring at him with my best _are you serious_ face. "I know it may sound strange but is actually the ancient equivalent of Skype."

"Okay, now you're shitting me." Nacho gave me a large flipper filled hug as he gave off a soft whimpering noise. I scratch the spot between his small numbs for ears in response. Nahco did eventually pull himself away and his place Ramon was in front of me with a plastic bag.

"I couldn't exactly give what I wanted to give but I did have some stuff left over for Cubano sandwiches." He held aloft the bag of delicious meat sandwiches in my hands. For a frame of reference, he's easily 7ft at the moment and he was slinging it over his shoulder. In my hands that translates into a near duffle bag of sandwiches. "Keep up your strength kid and watch what you eat, aside from poison they basically let you eat anything." Ramon then proceeded to attempt the task of shaking my hands as I tried to lift the sandwich bag. Aegle slithers in between us and actually help me split the weight of the bag.

"I'm against all aspects of this plan but...I know better than to fight a living hurricane. Just please remain mostly… healthy." She said with eyes as wide as her reptilian features allowed. "I also have a final gift one that might upset you." She helps me lower the bag onto the ground and place a burlap backpack right next to it with her tail. I look at it as it gave a malicious aura, one I haven't felt in years. She can't be serious. " They were left in the village, no one wanted to take them. They were going to burn them." The should have been. "Whatever you thought of her, her books contain real power." I looked at the burlap.

 _There is some dark magic within that sack there._ _Your mother must have been accomplished shamen._

One, keep out of that part of my memory. Second, she was far away from being any sort medicine man.

 _I would think so unless she was a man. No, I sense all kinds of magic in there. A Lot of it seems west African or tribal, oh even some Santeria and Haitian Vodou. I like her already where….oh damn shame._

Eclipso.

 _I'll stay out if for now but you keep this to yourself at all times, don't even think about it._

So what I've been doing for years. I'm just leaving the books here. Eclipso went silent for a second but I could have heard a soft grumble from him.

 _They are useful, but most of this magic is based on sacrifice and exchange. Not something quiet unless you have an out of the way cabin in the woods._

That's creepy beyond all belief. "The books are staying, that's that _."_ I took the burlap bag and tossed it to Ramon. Aegle reached into it and pulled out an old hardcover book from it.

"At Least take this one." It was a goldish-yellow book with the title of "Magi mythopedia encyclopedia." A mouth full of a title that just seemed redundant to me. "It contains many lists of magical creatures and how to kill them."

"Rather morbid but useful...sure, I'll take it." I took the book form her hand and surprised me with a constrictor hug. She held me close to her chest. I could hear her quick but heavy heartbeat quicken. "I'll be back, I promise." She started to let me go.

"Vivas men always kept their promises." She finally fully let me go as two tears fell from her face. "They may never accept you but you will always have a home here."

"Its time to go," Oceanus said coldly from behind the door. Everyone else gave one last bear hug before I picked up all my things.

"Keep your shirt on, sand for brains. I made all my go-." A large serpent creature tackled me from behind. Oh yeah, Juan. Nearly forgot that lump of feathers and scales would want a goodbye...possibly he might just be hungry.

"What is taking your ti-by the mountains of Gaea what is that thing!?" Oceanus shrieked as Juan focus went from me to a menacing stance directed towards him. The classic coil before striking maneuver with his wing raised up high, putting his rainbow of feathers on full display.

"Juan down!" I stood in between my pet and uncle before it could strike. "It will be alright boy."

"Okay Annabeth, you owe me some drachma." Jackson and his group came off the door Oceanus came out of with weapons drawn. Well, the girl(Annabeth) and Jackson had swords, while the goat-man had a woodwind instrument. How he stopped my father I will never truly understand.

"Percy…" She said scrunching her nose.

"What else can that thing be other than a Chupacabra?" I held my face in my hands for Annabeth.

"It's a Quetzalcoatl dumbass, a flying serpent. Chupacabra are lizard dog things that people blame disappearing life stock on. I.E does not exist!" In the middle of my explanation, Nacho nearly raised a finger but Aegle urged it back down. Guess I might have to deal with that when I get back. Jackson kept his dumbfounded expression but a speck of anger crept in.

"You're not bringing the toucan snake anywhere near camp." He said sternly, clingy to his golden blade as Juan was ready to flame broil them. He wasn't wrong on the description just not with the lack of a beak.

" He'll stay here munching on pork, isn't that right Ramon?" I looked towards the Cyclops and he gave an unsure shrug as his eye darted from me, Juan and Jackson in quick succession.

"Depends, how fat you want him?" He croaked as Juan turned his head and gave a predator's gaze towards him. Gleaming eyes of malice staring into him. He staggered at the knees giving a _why did you do this to me_ face of crumbling fake smiles. I patted the side of Juan's head with my hand, making a little hotter to get his attention. He rubbed his scales against it, a rough and solid texture scratched at my pores. A nice cleansing, sandpaper feel.

"I'll be back." He licked the top of my hair and breathed out smoke from his nostrils. " I have some nice treats when I get back." He puffed out a small bit of flame before Ramon started to lead him away with an uncooked steak tied to a stick. I gather my things and walked up to my uncle keeping my composure to the best of my abilities. " I'm ready," I said calmly tying back all my frustrations. I saw Jackson expression, he had a pitiful face. Whether it was from my situation or for the fact he was a part of it I can't say. Annabeth kept a glare on me and her knife on standby. "I've already submitted or are you waiting for the moment I scream Geronimo and ambush you."

"You have the eyes of someone who takes any opportunity." She said plainly as my uncle pulled out little shells.

"Pretty spot on… I don't take advantage of people if that's what your thinking." I heard the voice of Eclipso snickering in my ear.

"I think about many things and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that you're at least a decent person. Despite your attitude and...friends." She started back at them as they tried to tie up Juan to a riding horse rope.

"Familia, mi familia." I said frankly and proudly. "The one I chose." Eclipso outright laughs at my words.

 _If you mean your father sure, you chose the people your father left here._

Please not now. Must I plead?

 _Fine. You must work on that confidence and pride though, it will lead to greater strides._

Annabeth kept a glare at me and I know she suspects something of me, I'm skeptical she can sense Eclipso but maybe she figures there's someone in my head.

"If you're done with the premature pissing match stomp on the shells," Oceanus said plainly as threw them on the ground. I didn't have the strength to argue why would shells of all things help get us to this camp. "Your father at least told you about the pearls right."

"Won't lie the weirdness of that summer override remembering details," Jackson said with a shrug. "Sends you to ocean right." Oceanus signed in response.

"One of the most powerful transportation by water magic without ingestion and it's merely a detail to you." He said plainly but the venom practically dripped from his lips. "May chaos bless you with its presence." He stomped on the shell and seafoam erupted from it, swallowing him in white bubbles.

"Yeah, no. After this, I'm only taking quest if I have too." Jackson took Annabeth hand and they both threw their shells to the ground. Annabeth took a break from her death glaring and gave her attention to Jackson. I'll give them this, they are the embodiment of what a relationship should be with the looks they give each other. Loving, longingly and a kind of aura of caring that, I'll admit, was infectious. I applaud their human side, now if only I can forget the demigod side. They did the same foaming trick that Oceanus did and disappeared into the vapor.

"Um." Goatman sputtered. "Isn't Oceanus foam suppose to you know-" I cut him off.

"Guess He wants a word away from the rest of you. Just go with your friends if he wanted you dead he would have gone full hurricane already." He looked to me sadly, But nonetheless stomped on his shell and went away in the foam. Oceanus illusion dispersed and there he was in a new suit. A loose collar, hanging tie and an I can't take this shit anymore kind of face. Sunken eyes, mouth sagging with a stain or two that look looked and smelled like liquor.

"You must have some questi-" I threw a nearby rock at his nose. It didn't hit anything solid, it simply passed through him like a waterfall. "Very eloquent of you mister Vivas." He clapped slowly as I put my hands in my pockets.

"Sorry, but I felt like I need to give you the closest thing to what I was experiencing all day yesterday. So rock to the head, if you want I can go into a lecture about not selling out family." He shrugged at my remarks.

"It's an Olympian pastime, Zeus greatest stories were about "selling out" family. Besides." He stops at first but takes out a silver cask with the word Rhodes on it. "Ah, hits the spot. Anyway, I had other reasons to make a deal."

 _Oh, this will be delicious._

Why does this matter to you?

 _side note: I get my power from negative emotions such as fear, doubt, and shame. He's firing on all cylinders for all of them._

Aaand you're not going to tell me are you?

 _Enjoy his side of the story._

"I never wanted to get involved in the family politics of it all." He leaned casually against a tree drinking his flask in small intervals. "I refused to get involved in the first titan war and most conflicts after that. I was happy as long as my wife was there." I felt a but coming on next. Oceanus appearance changed as he talked, his forehead growing strange horns that for some reason looked like crab claws. Not even in an abstract way just straight up crab claws. "As long as Tethys was there my decisions were clear and singular, make her happy, make sure you don't go the way of the Olympians, never betray her." His brow seemed to age in real time in front of me as his face became dark and sullen. "I assume you know of Helios and Selene?"

"I know Aegle seems to get sad or angry when they're brought up." I thought it over for a second. I only thought of one answer. "Is there a way to kill a god?"

"Not without them eventually coming back...unless…" He poured down the last of his flask and threw at a tree. As soon as it hits the tree it became pure water. " If they're forgotten. If their name, stories, and deeds go unremembered in some way they fade away." The puzzle solved itself.

"So Betty isn't, Tethys?" He looked at me with mild aggravation.

"That is her but she nearly did fade into nothing." Okay, so gods could die.

 _What a turn of events. Learned the pagan gods are real, powerful and related to you and just the next day. BAM! You learn how they die. What a week you are experiencing._ _Don't you tune out yet there's more_!

"So you're telling me betty nearly disappeared into nothing and this involves me how." Cold, yes. Callous, also yes but I was 32 flavors of done with my uncle's strangeness and machinations. My empathy levels are a ditch right now.

"She was like that for years and in that time.." What did he… oh no. Leave me out of this.

"There is another demigod on the island, her name is Rio victoria. I would like for you to help protect her." God damn it!

 _We get a tag along._

How is that good!

 _In your generations tongue, chill._

How!?

 _Wait until his full deal is revealed._

"If you do this I will be grateful beyond belief and use my regained status to get you a way out of camp quickly." His face was dirty and shaggy but sincere under the grim of the sadness. "Make sure she isn't harmed and ill reward you greatly. Just make sure she isn't permanently harmed."

 _Accept_

Why?

 _A god would be in your debt, why wouldn't you do this! Think about the favors he will be indebted to give when you complete this. Besides, two allies are better than one. At Least she won't be in your head._

I thought it over for a second and...maybe he is right, I could bring her onto my side. Have her by my side to help find ways to get out and survive. I guess there is no harm in doing so.

 _That's my demigod. Now just finalize it._

"I accept Uncle but you must fulfill your end of the deal." Relief crept along his face as he started to look more youthful with the stains disappearing from his clothes.

"On the River Styx, I shall hold to this deal so long as you do the best of your ability to protect Rio." His grin returned with a vengeance as I tried to keep expression tight-lipped. I wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of a new person coming along this crazy ride but hey it can't make the experience worse at this point.

"I swear to do the best I can to protect Rio as long as you find a way to send us home." We shook hands on the deal and I stomped on my shell.

 _Really not even with a second thought about it. Seriously you're not taking these river Styx deals seriously. Do you know the punishment for these kinds of things right?_

I got what I need and He seemed sincere. I thought you would enjoy the gung-ho attitude. Besides you die with me. Right?

 _More or less, I can not predict things like sniper bullets, but yes I was aware of his true plan. At Least the blanket edges of it. Who knows? The adventure this begins is one that might ring echoes throughout the myths and legends of the new age._

As long as I make it home...I don't care what deals I'll make.

 _Let us hope that is the case...let us hope._

 **Authors note- the story of Elio's origin ends here but it truly begins in another story I'm making. Welcome to United** **Republic** **. If you don't mind the change I urge you to read it. It will have the same style just a larger scope.**


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